


Left For Dead

by gaydemonium



Category: Mortal Instruments, Shadowhunters, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Blood and Gore, F/M, M/M, Magnus with a shotgun, Malec, Malec Smut, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, apocaplyse malec, badass apocalyptic Alec, its like the walking dead but it's not, jalec - Freeform, lots of gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2018-09-14 13:27:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 79,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9183619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaydemonium/pseuds/gaydemonium
Summary: "Are you coming with me or not?""To where? Where are we going to go, Magnus? We're in the middle of the goddamn zombie apocalypse. Everyone we know is dead. Dead or Turned."Magnus fixed his gun over his shoulder and smiled broadly. "We can go wherever we like, Alexander. There's no rules anymore. We're all just skin and bones."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The year is 2025. Five years ago, a deadly disease was released worldwide that reanimates the dead and turns them into flesh eating corpses. Once bitten, you turn into one them. First comes the fever. Then comes death. Then the reanimation.The news will tell you to stay inside. Don't listen. They will tell you to go to an evacuation center. Don't go. They will tell to stay in large groups to ensure safety. That's not always the case. No place is safe, only safer.Either you survive or you die. Or else you're left for dead.Your choice.





	1. Scavengers

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again with another fic. I had this idea in mind for a while and I thought the idea of post apocalyptic Malec seemed interesting. So here it is.

There was a Forsaken shuffling across the road. Its moans were no different sounding than the others; low and mournful and enough to raise the hair on anyone's neck. 

This one didn't happen to have any arms. This minor detail seemed to throw off its balance completely as it walked in zigzags across the road towards the convenience store, which, coincidentally, was exactly where Alec and his group needed to go. 

They were all well hidden behind a tipped over school bus a few yards away from the store. Armed to the teeth, or with as much as they were allowed to carry, Alec was well prepared for scavenge patrol. He'd been on hundreds of runs since joining the little community of Alicante. This one was no different. The people that were in the group may have changed but the objective didn't. 

"Okay. Listen up. This is how it's gonna go...." Alec pointed to the store. "We're going to go in through the back. Isabelle and I will clear the store and open the front doors so that way we have more than one exit if we need to make a quick escape. Do not move until I give you the signal."

The newcomer, a young man named Simon, raised his hand as if he were in school and not in the middle of the zombie apocalypse instead. "What's the signal? A whistle? A wave? The Macarena?"

Alec glared at him. Some folks would find Simon's satirical sense of humor refreshing during times like these. Alec just thought he was straight up annoying. "I'll flash my emergency light three times. Keep an eye out and don't miss your cue."

"Ye of little faith," said his younger sister, Isabelle. Normally, she wore short dresses and walked around in death defying heels back at Alicante, but right now she had on a pair of tight jeans and shirt, hair tied back into a ponytail with a baseball cap over it. "You never did trust the newbies much. How do you expect them to get the proper experience if you don't let them come on the scavenges with us?"

She had a point. A very good one, too. "Because remember the last time we let a newbie come with us? We had to leave our supplies because they attracted a horde of Forsaken. Lost a lot of good stuff that day. Stuff we desparately needed."

They both quietly made their way behind the store, squatting down along the side of the building. When he peered around the corner, Alec heard the familiar shuffling of Forsaken feet. Turning to look at Isabelle, he held up four fingers. She nodded in understanding. As quietly as they could, they took out their hunting knives and made their way towards the Forsaken. 

Alec's knife slid easily into the zombie's skull, causing it to fall to the ground immediately. Now it was dead for good. He did the same to another while his sister handled the remaining two. She was really handy with a knife. This surprised a lot of people but it didn't surprise Alec. Their father had taken them hunting loads of times as kids, way before the Dark Days. Isabelle was the one who always skinned the animals. Alec was the one who shot them with his trusty bow. Their father even sent them on a hunting trip on their own once. In the woods for a week, they managed to come back with a young buck and several rabbits. Their father was so proud of them. If only he could see them now....

The Forsaken now dead, they made short work of the lock on the back door. It was strange. If this store was already cleared out by other people, then why was it locked? The only thing Alec could think of was that it was locked to keep something from getting out. Humans would've locked it from the inside. Not the outside. 

"Ugh. It smells in here," Isabelle clamped a hand over her nose. "What is that?"

"Rotting corpse," Alec pointed out. "Something is rotting in here." He nodded towards the back rooms. "See if there's anything that needs killing before I open the doors."

Isabelle raised her knife expertly and quietly moved through the back rooms. After a minute or two, she returned. "Clear. Just a dead guy in the back but it looks like he took care of himself. But there's a shit ton of medicine back there. This place must've been a pharmacy too."

"Good. We need the medicine. We're running low back home." Alec checked through a crack in the boarded up windows to see if the area was clear before opening the front doors. Once the chains were removed, he stuck his head outside, looking both ways. Then he flashed the light on his jacket three times. 

The remainder of the group behind the bus came running, weapons raised just in case. A few Forsaken that were wandering aimlessly around the bus noticed them and made their usual, throaty growls. This was bound to attract more of them. 

"Quickly. Get inside," Alec ushered them all in before shutting the doors and putting the heavy chain back on it again. No sooner did they close, the doors began to rattle and shake with the zombies banging on it from the outside. 

"That was a close one. Did you guys have to kill any on the way in?" Simon picked up a box of crackers off the shelf and sniffed them. 

"Just four in the back. There was nothing inside. Izzy checked. Now grab as much as you can. Only take the essentials. Food, water, medicine. Anything we need to survive. And no alcohol. I mean it."

They scoured through the store and stuffed their duffel bags with as much as they could carry. Isabelle took care of the medicine in the back room and still had room for more, so she picked up a few feminine hygiene supplies. Simon gave her an odd look, which she returned with a death glare. 

"What?" She snapped at him. "Just because the apocalypse hit doesn't mean women get a free pass. We still get our periods, you know-"

"I don't like women talk. Makes me super uncomfortable...." Simon walked away with his hands over his ears. 

When the bit of space in his bag was filled, Alec threw it over his shoulder and looked through the crack in the boards again. The Forsaken that were banging on the door earlier were still outside, shuffling a little too close for comfort. 

"We'll have to take the back exit. There's more of them crawling around out there now. Stay alert and for fuck's sake, don't drop your bag. If you do, don't try going back for it." He looked directly at Simon. "That's how we lost the last guy."

Simon gulped audibly, gripping his duffel bag tighter to him. 

The group managed to sneak their way out through the back alley, which lead them to another street filled with houses. Alec made a mental note to himself to come back here and see if there's anything worth scavenging in the abandoned homes, but for now he focused on getting back to Alicante safely with no casualties or injuries. 

A low growl made the group freeze. A few feet to their left, a Forsaken was knelt down on the road. It was hunched over and to Alec, it looked it was munching on a dead dog. He could see the head still attached to its body, but the insides were now outside, most of it now in the zombie's hands and mouth. 

The squelching sound of the internal organs and crunch of bones made Simon vomit. The noise was loud enough to grab the zombie's attention because it froze for a moment and then slowly turned in the direction of the group. It growled and opened its mouth, blood oozing out from whatever organ was still between its teeth. 

"Go. Go, go, go," Alec hissed, pushing the group ahead of him while he kept an eye on the Forsaken in front of them. It was now on its feet and was headed rather quickly towards them, arms outstretched and growling harshly. 

"Alec! Come on!" Isabelle shouted. She and the group had climbed over a chain link fence that they had to pass in order to get to this part of town earlier that day. This place must've belonged to a neighbouring community. 

"I said go! I'll be fine-" Alec stuck the knife in the zombie's head. By now there were a crowd of Forsaken gathered around, all growling in different pitches but all just as equally terrifying. 

"Alec, please!" Isabelle cried. "Don't be a fucking hero! Just come on!"

"Dammit," he muttered before tossing his bag over the fence. Izzy caught it from the other side as he pulled himself up onto the chain links. Something clawed at his leg and he felt himself being pulled down towards the horde. He strained just to keep himself hanging onto the fence and from falling off. 

With a grunt, he lashed out with his free leg while using his upper body strength. His boot made contact with the Forsaken's head and it stumbled backwards long enough for Alec to climb over the fence. Once he landed on the other side, he grabbed his bag from Isabelle and threw it over his shoulder once again. 

"That was a little too close, don't you think?" He panted as he smirked at his sister. 

Isabelle smacked him on the arm. "It's not funny! You always try to play hero all the time but you know what? It's going to get you killed one day. Killed, Alec. As in dead."

"Okay! I get it. Geez. You sound like mom when she used to scold us for getting a low mark on a test." Alec shoved past her and made his way to the front of the group. "Friendly reminder that just because you think we're safe from the Forsaken, it doesn't mean we're actually safe. Keep an eye out."

Simon snorted as he fell beside Isabelle. "Your brother's tableside manners are abysmal."

"At least he made sure you got out alive. Normally he'd test the newbies to see if they had what it takes." She shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'oh well'. 

Simon raised an eyebrow in confusion. "So do I have what it takes?"

Isabelle turned to look at him. To Simon's surprise, she had a broad smile on her face. "You're alive, aren't you?"

Considering it for a moment, Simon snorted. "Good point. I guess I'll make a badass scavenger after all, huh?"

"Well I don't know about badass, but you do have potential to be a decent scavenger," Isabelle nudged him with an elbow. "Don't get too cocky, Lewis. You can't get cocky when out like this. It'll get you killed. Rule #3 in the zombie apocalypse survival guide."

"There's a guide for this crap?" Simon's voice went up an octave. 

"Yup. I'm writing it. In case some unfortunate soul gives birth during shit times like these and they want to raise their kid and survive at the same time. Maybe I should get it published...." She smirked when Simon opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. "I'm kidding, Lewis. I doubt Penguin Random House Publishing is looking for the next best page turner."

They walked for a half hour before hitting a large metal gate. Alec whistled like a bird and the gates slid open for them. Once they were inside, it closed again. 

"Ah, man. It looks like you guys got some great stuff this time around!" A young man with long blonde hair tied back into a bun said as he clapped his hands together. He was Isabelle and Alec's other brother, Jace. "Which one's the medicine bag? I'll take that to the infirmary right now. Jem is looking to restock as soon as possible."

Isabelle handed him the bag. "There's stuff in there for us women too. Unless you're too much of a pussy to take it out of the bag yourself, maybe I should come with you."

Jace flipped her the finger. "Screw you. You just want to lay eyes on the sexy Doctor James Carstairs." He yelled as Isabelle punched him in the back as they walked away together. 

Alec rolled his eyes before turning to the remainder of the group. "If you have food and water in your bags, bring it to Charlotte. She'll put it in our pantry. Anything else can go to Distribution. Clothes, toys, etcetera. Never know who might need it."

The group dispersed and Alec headed to a small yellow house with a blue mailbox on the front lawn. This was where he and his siblings were staying, and it had been their home since they came to Alicante five years ago. 

Alec was 18 when the world went to shit. Isabelle and Jace were 17 and little Max was only 4. Being the one legal adult in the family, he took his responsibility very seriously after their parents were killed during evacuations. They had watched in horror as the military shot everyone down all because one man collapsed and had a heart attack and immediately changed into a Forsaken. Alec's parents had been amongst the crowd standing close to that man and the military shot them all down with their high powered rifles. The Lightwood children were already past the checkpoint when they witnessed it all right before their eyes. 

They were on the road for weeks, eating whatever food they could find and drinking very little water. Max even collapsed once of dehydration and Alec had to carry his baby brother in his arms. Starving and dying of thirst, they were holed up in a small shed when a group of people found them. They claimed to be from a gated community that was safe and had plenty of food and water for them all. Alec didn't even hesitate. He couldn't. His family were slowly dying and they needed this town to save them. So they followed the strangers back to Alicante, where they soon bounced back on their feet and immediately gave back to the people who saved their lives. Even Max was doing really well. They recently opened a small school for the children, and Max was really enjoying himself. He even liked having homework. Right now he was learning his times tables and Alec couldn't be more proud of how far his baby brother has come since arriving here. Aside from gaining a bit of weight and getting a bit taller, Max was happy and healthy and that's all Alec could ever ask for. 

Inside the house, Alec dropped his crossbow on the tabletop and collapsed on the old couch, sighing heavily. Ignoring the dirt and grime on his clothes, he closed his eyes. It wasn't easy being a scavenger. There was always a risk of someone getting hurt or someone getting killed, but it was a risk they had to take if they wanted to keep Alicante on its feet. It's what kept people going. No one else was going to go out to get what they needed, so Alec had to do what needed to be done, regardless of the consequences. 

He felt himself drift off but it wasn't long before he woke up to the sound of people talking outside. Looking out his window, he saw a group of people standing outside his lawn arguing. He heaved a sigh and got to his feet, ready to play the peacekeeper role. 

"What's going on out here?" He asked when he was outside. 

The argument ceased once Alec approached them. A tall man by the name of Victor Aldertree spoke first. "We caught a thief breaking into the pantry. Your men were just dropping off the food when he dashed out but we managed to catch him. What should we do about him?"

"Uh....and you're coming to me about this because?" Alec crossed his arms over his chest. "This is business for the Consul. I'm a scavenger. That's not my problem."

Victor snorted. "Well it is now. The thief is being held in one of the cells. He's requested to speak with you immediately."

Alec chuckled. "Me? What does he want with me?"

Victor shrugged. "I don't know. A foot massage? Dinner and a movie? I don't fucking know. Just get your ass down to the cells. The longer he's here, the more dangerous it is for us. He could be a spy for a neighbouring community. Looking for weak points."

"Okay. This isn't The Walking Dead. Calm down. I'll go speak to him. If I manage to get him to leave, I'll give him a bit of our supplies. Just to help him along the way."

"A bit of our supplies?!" A woman whose name Alec couldn't remember squawked. "We're already low enough as it is and you want to give it away?!"

Alec glared at her. "Would you rather have him stay and pinpoint weaknesses in the community like our good friend Victor here already pointed out?" When the group fell silent, Alec shook his head. "Didn't think so. Now tell me which fell he's in so I can go talk to him. The quicker I get this done, the sooner I can finally go down for a well deserved nap."


	2. Hole In The Wall

"Max.....seriously? You're the thief everyone's complaining about outside our home?"

Alec stood in the cells with his arms crossed over his chest. The way the people went on with in the community, they made it sound like some badass, brave soul from outside the gates managed to break in and steal a few things. He didn't expect it to be his little brother. Skinny, small Max. 

"They had pudding! You know how long it's been since I last had pudding, Alec?!" Max wiped his nose in the sleeve of his shirt. "When I was younger I used to eat it all the time."

"By younger you mean last week?" Alec chuckled as Max glared at him. "Come on. Get up. I'm breaking you out of prison. We'll change our identities and dye our hair so no one will recognize us."

Max giggled. "Really? You're breaking me out?"

"Of course. You're only 9, Max. You shouldn't even be in here." Alec grabbed the keys that hung by the door and opened the cell. Max raced out and wrapped his arms around Alec's waist in a tight hug. "Easy there, little man. Are you okay? They didn't hurt you or anything?"

"No," Max shook his head. "But Victor said if he caught me stealing again he's gonna hang me by the ears from a tree."

Alec felt his blood boil. "I won't let that happen to you, bud. Just promise me you'll ask permission for some food first next time, okay?"

Max saluted him. "Roger that! I'm gonna go play with the other kids now. Jace found baseball gear in one of the houses and said we could have it."

Alec smiled down at him. "Nice. I bet you liked that." He watched as Max raced off towards the large empty field. "No stealing! I mean it, Maxwell!"

After leaving the cells, he had every intention of finding Aldertree and give him a piece of his mind but the need to sleep overpowered him. A shower sounded nice too....then sleep. 

Alicante had running water, but it was very limited. They managed to schedule each household with a shower for certain days of the week, making the water last a little longer. They were allowed to go over the allotted time given (two minutes was the time limit). So everyone pretty much had to wash and get out. No screwing around.

"Did you talk to the little thief?" Victor sang out from the courthouse where they held their town meetings. 

Alec glanced up in Victor's general direction as he walked past. Victor was leaned against one of the columns with a cigarette in his mouth. As much as he wanted to punch Aldertree in the face, he couldn't risk being in the cells for a night. He had a family to take care of. "Yes. He's off playing baseball with the other kids. He promised he won't steal ever again."

Victor laughed harshly. "That's the exact same thing he said to me. If it were up to me, I'd leave him in solitary for a few days. Maybe that would scare him straight."

Alec couldn't take it anymore. He turned abruptly and stomped up the path to the courthouse with an anger raging inside him, and Victor knew he was mad. He'd backed away when Alec charged towards him in pure horror. 

"Talk about my brother like that again and I'll kill you. I won't even hesitate," he growled. Victor wasn't that much shorter than him, but with the way Aldertree cowered away, he felt like a giant. 

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I swear. Just don't hurt me," Victor whined. 

Alec almost laughed. Victor was known for being all talk but no game. He could convince anyone into doing his own dirty work but once it came down to doing something himself, he was pretty much useless. 

"Alec. Back away before you do something you're going to regret...." Isabelle suddenly appeared behind him, a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

"There's nothing I can't do to him that I won't regret. He deserves what's eventually coming to him," Alec glared at Victor a final time before walking away. Tension now aside, he walked alongside his sister back towards their home. "Did you and Jace drop off the medicine to Jem?"

"We did. Jem was very pleased. The infirmary just needs to restock on bandages and cortisone," she looked up to see Alec's lost expression. "Anti inflammatory agent. Or anti allergen. Used for both occasions."

"Good to know. Maybe tomorrow we'll go back to that town and look through the houses. There's bound to be something good in there that we might need." He sat down on their front porch with a sigh. "It'll be winter soon. Everything is going to go a lot faster like it always does."

"And we always get through. Don't we?" Isabelle sat beside him. "Look at us, Alec. Five years ago we didn't even think we were going to survive. Now we're the best this town's got. Without us they'd probably crash and burn."

Alec snorted. That much was probably true. The town was barely hanging on when they arrived five years ago, and now it was thriving. But they couldn't take all of the credit. There were a lot of good people in this town that knew what they were doing and were very good at their jobs. 

"Are we going to take Simon again tomorrow? He seemed to do pretty well today. He kept up with us and carried his weight his supplies."

"Izzy, he doesn't even weigh that much. He's skinny-"

"He'll bulk up.....maybe. So what? We were all skinny at some point. Some of us still are. That can't be helped."

Alec sighed through his nose. There weren't many townspeople in Alicante that were willing to go scavenging. Simon was one of the very few volunteers that raised a hand and wanted to replace their previous group member's spot. "I guess he can. We need the numbers anyway. More able bodies mean more to bring back."

Isabelle smiled broadly. "I knew you'd see the light, big brother. Jace wasn't entirely convinced that you would."

"Jace? Were you already talking to him about this?"

Isabelle got to her feet and shrugged. She had a grin on her face. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She laughed, ruffling his hair. "Jesus, you need a shower. Is it our turn for water today?"

"No. Not until tomorrow. Which works out alright because we're heading out again at dawn. So get up early. I don't want to be waiting for everybody when it's time to go."

"Yes dad," Isabelle grumbled. "I suppose I'll go let the rest of the crew know what the plan is for tomorrow. I'll be back in a bit. What's for supper?"

Alec shrugged. All meals were cooked and served in the town hall. This way, it was distributed evenly and no one fought over who had more or who had less. It was a fair concept. "No idea. Guess we'll find out when we get there."

Isabelle was about to reply when Jace raced over to them. He was breathless and gasping for air. "What the hell's wrong with you? Is Clary threatening to kill you again for using your scope to spy on her while she bathes?"

Jace scowled. "No. I can't find Max anywhere."

Alec shot up off the porch steps. "Isn't he playing baseball with the kids?"

"That's the other thing. Some of the kids are gone missing too and the ones we talked to aren't saying shit all. I'm sorry, Alec. I should've been watching them-"

"Apologize later. We need to find him before something happens. Izzy, you check with the townspeople. Jace and I will have a look around the fences. Maybe he...."

Isabelle stared at him. "You don't think he went out past the gate, do you?"

"We don't know that for sure, Alec. Maybe he's inside someone's house?" Jace suggested. 

"The longer we stand here and talk about it, the more danger he could be on. Go!" Alec have Isabelle a small shove down the pathway. Once she disappeared around a corner, he turned to look at Jace. "Let's start with the south wall and work our way around."

Jace followed alongside him like a loyal dog. A lot of people thought at first that Jace was going to be the leader of the Lightwood family, but Alec had to really step up and prove to them that he was their guardian, which Jace was really grateful for. He didn't like the idea of being leader of anything. He was much too laid back to be a leader. 

A series of giggles erupted from behind a home as they walked by. Alec recognized Max's snort almost immediately and raced behind a home to see six of the kids standing around by the wooden wall. To his absolute horror, they were each taking turns jumping in front of a Forsaken that got itself stuck between two boards, laughing as it growled and clawed for them. 

"Max!" Alec yelled. 

Max turned around. "Alec! Look what we found! Isn't this-"

The boards supporting the Forsaken split and it toppled down into the yard, falling directly on top of the kids. The children screamed and ran away but little Max was pinned under the zombie, screaming and trying to get away.

"MAX!" Alec charged forward. His knife was immediately in his hand and he kicked the Forsaken off his baby brother. The knife slid easily down into its rotted skull. It died immediately. 

Max was sobbing the way he used to do when they first arrived in Alicante; his arms wrapped around his still skinny knees and crying for their parents. The tears that rolled down his face were practically the size of golf balls and he couldn't stop shaking in fright. 

"Max," Alec gathered the little boy in his arms and hugged him tight. "Are you bit? Did you get scratched? Let me check you." 

Max let his shirt and sleeves be lifted up as Alec checked for any signs of a bite or a scratch. "Alec, I'm fine! I just got really scared for a moment. I thought I was going to die."

"I'm not gonna let that happen to you, bud. I made a promise to mom and dad I'd protect you guys and that's exactly what I'm going to do, okay?" Alec held his brother so tight that he could feel Max's little heart thudding through his chest against his collarbone through his shirt and skin. "Don't you ever do that again. Are we clear? You see one of those things and you run in the other direction. They aren't playthings."

Max sniffled and hung his head in shame. "Okay. I'm sorry, Alec. The kids were just playing and then we dared each other to get as close as we could before it could get us...."

Frowning, Alec gently tilted Max's chin up with a finger. "Hey. You're okay now. And you're not hurt. That's the main thing here."

The boy sniffled again. "You're not gonna hang me by the ears from a tree, are you?"

"No," Alec chuckled. "I'm not. However, you're going to bed early tonight. No excuses."

Max looked offended. "I can't practice my reading?!"

"You can practice your reading but as soon as you're finished, it's light out. No playtime."

Max pouted, looking a lot like Isabelle when he did. "Fine. I don't need to play anyway. Playing is for babies."

"Then come here you big baby." Alec scooped his little brother up in arms and held him upside down by the waist, tickling him. Max giggled and laughed until he was breathless. "You had enough for one day?"

Max nodded. "Yeah. I'm kinda hungry. What's for dinner?"

"Guys!" Simon's voice rang out and he, Jace and Isabelle came rushing over. "Is everything okay? Jace said he got the kids back to their parents but didn't see you guys come out-whoa." His eyes found the dead Forsaken on the ground. "How did that thing get inside?"

Alec nodded towards the gap. "Hole in the fence. I guess the wood was loose and it found its way in here. Think you can board it back up again? And make sure it's fortified before leaving," Alec said sternly. "We don't want another incident like this happening again."

Everyone looked at Max, who turned red in the face with embarrassment. 

"Come on, little man. Let's get s place in line at the city hall. See what's for dinner," Isabelle smiled sweetly and stuck out her hand. Max gleefully took it and they both skipped down together.

"Was he bit or scratched?" asked Jace in a low voice. 

Alec shook his head. "No. He's fine. I checked him."

Simon puffed out a sigh. "Jesus. I'm glad he's okay though. The thought of having to...um....you know...." He made a gun gesture to his head and pretended to shoot himself. "Not my idea of a good time."

"I doubt that's anyone's idea of a good time, Lewis. Now help me board up the wall. Should we report this to the Clave?" Jace lift a board from the stack next to the wall that was there for emergencies such as this one. 

"I can do it. The council seem to like me and my boyish charms," Simon batted his eyelashes. 

"Don't....please don't bat your lashes at me ever again. It's weird...." Alec scoffed. "Thanks for helping out today, guys. Max and the kids are safe. That's the main thing here."

Simon nodded as he held the board for Jace to nail into the wall. "Totally. Max is like little brother to me too."

Jace stopped hammering and slowly looked up at him. "You met him twice since you've been here. And the first time he saw you he called you a vampire because of your pointy ass canines of yours."

Alec coughed to cover a laugh as Simon felt his teeth with a finger. "Just board up the wall and come to dinner. We all deserve a nice meal today. We got a lot done."

"Ain't that the truth. And Isabelle said we're going back to that little town tomorrow to scope out the houses?" asked Simon. 

"Yeah. Did you want to come with us?"

Simon smiled broadly, his pointy ass canines in full view. "Absolutely! I had fun out there today. I was also very frightened and I puked on the street but fun nonetheless."

Alec rolled his eyes. "I'll see you two morons at dinner. Board it up really good. The last thing we need is for something else to break in here again."

"Or someone," Jace grumbled. 

"Right," Alec agreed. "Or someone."


	3. Behind

"What is this stuff?" 

Max pretty much echoed what everyone was thinking, the only difference being that he said it out loud. The goop that was slapped down into their plates looked a little too much like oatmeal that had already been chewed. It was wet and mushy and the smell alone made Alec almost lose the contents of his stomach, which was pretty much empty. 

"Can we eat it?" Max poked it with his spoon. A bubble burst open from the goop, making him jump. "Ewww. Gross!"

"It's not that bad. Watch." Isabelle scooped some up on her spoon and put it in her mouth. Once the taste finally registered, Alec couldn't help but smirk as her face screwed in disgust. She swallowed quickly. "See? Yummy. Now you try."

Jace already had his gone when Alec looked over. He was licking the plate like a cat. "I don't see anything wrong with it. It was amazing. Eat up, Mighty Max. It's good."

Max looked down at his plate and tried a bit. He cringed. "I guess it's not that bad...."

The city hall doors flew open and their resident town council, entitled the Clave, stormed in. They were always the last to eat (Alec thought it was because they wanted the citizens to get their share first to make themselves look good). 

"I told Inquisitor Herondale about the wall. She told me to write a report and hand it in by tomorrow. I told her to suck my dick," Simon whispered into Alec's ear. "Actually, I didn't really tell her to suck my dick. That part I said in my mind."

"Good for you. When did they start wanting reports written? We always made verbal reports...." Alec shoved a mouthful of the oatmeal/vomit/dog food into his mouth. Jace was right. It wasn't actually that bad. 

"I don't know. I'm just a newbie scavenger. That's just what I was told to do. I'm a follower, not a leader," Simon pointed out. "So what are we looking for tomorrow? Anything in particular?"

"You're going on a run tomorrow?" Clary Fray, a fiery redhead that Jace was seeing, leaned over the table and hissed. "It's not your group's turn tomorrow to go."

"Do you see anyone else eager to make a trip outside the gates, Fray? I sure as hell don't," Alec hissed back at her. "Simon and I are going. Whether the Clave likes it or not." 

Isabelle cleared her throat. "You left me out. I'm going too. God knows I can't spend another minute inside these walls. I need to shoot something. Or stab it right in the eyeball-" She paused when she noticed Max staring at her in shock, his spoon halfway up towards his mouth. "I mean the Forsaken. Stab the zombies."

Max slowly looked away but didn't say anything. He just continued to eat his dinner in silence. 

Simon took this opportunity to speak again. "You didn't answer my question about what we're getting tomorrow on the run."

Alec sighed. "Simon. I don't answer a lot of your questions. Mainly because your voice annoys me. But if I were to answer your question, I would say the usual. Things we need. Medicine. Food. Bottles of water. Anything the town needs and is running low on."

Simon scratched his head. "So I'm confused. Did you or did you not just answer my question-ow!" Isabelle had kicked him in the knee under the table. "Right. Okay. Sorry. The usual. I heard ya."

Before anyone could say anything else, Inquisitor Imogen Herondale stood up and raised a hand to silence the crowded room. Everyone went dead silent in a matter of seconds. It was scary, how much power she had. 

"I would like to take a quick moment to thank the group that went outside the gates today to gather supplies. You took a great risk today. It will not be forgotten." She looked directly at Alec as she spoke. "As a reward, you will be granted running water tonight if you're not already scheduled in for it today. Please enjoy this luxury."

Isabelle almost burst into tears at the thought of a shower. "Oh god. Thank you. I was literally warding off skunks out there today. Who needs a weapon when their own body odour is a weapon all on its own?"

"That was you?! I thought for sure it was something I'd stepped in...." Simon jumped from the table and raced towards the exit when Isabelle shot him a look that could kill. 

"Where's Simon going?" asked Max. 

"Simon's running away from Isabelle because she's probably going to kill him," said Jace with a smile. "Hey! You finished all of your dinner. Atta boy! High five!"

Max laughed and clapped his small hand against Jace's. Alec was always envious of their relationship. Jace had a way with kids that Alec never did have. He was always the serious sibling; the brother that didn't know how to have fun. Jace was all about having fun. 

"Excellent job out there today, Alexander." 

Alec looked up to the Inquisitor standing next to their table. Her dark hair was pinned up into a tight bun on top of her head and her scrutinizing eyes were locked right on Alec. 

"Thank you, Inquisitor Herondale. It was a team effort out there today. I couldn't have done it without my group," he nodded. 

Inquisitor Herondale nodded curtly. "I heard a rumor that you'll be going out again tomorrow. Is that true?"

Alec swallowed hard. Who squealed to the Inquisitor? "Y-yes, ma'am. We're running low on some supplies and the weather is growing cold really fast. We need to go out more often than usual to stock up."

The Inquisitor sighed. "You make a good point, Alexander. Tomorrow you'll go out with your group at dawn. 6 am. Not a minute later."

She stormed away before Alec could tell her that was his plan anyway, but telling her this wasn't exactly the brightest idea. Talking back to the Clave was considered rude. Ignorant, almost. 

"I thought for sure she was going to yell at you in front of the whole town," Jace whispered. "My grandmother can be a bit harsh sometimes but her heart is in the right place."

Imogen Herondale turned out to be Jace's grandmother. When they first arrived in Alicante five years ago, they were ushered into the infirmary to get checked for bites or scratches. When it was Jace's turn to get checked, the Inquisitor saw the star shaped mark on his shoulder and took him aside. Alec remembered the look of shock on Jace's face from across the room when she must've told him that they were related. When Jace returned to his brothers and sister, he refused to talk to them until that night when they all went to bed. 

"She told me she recognized the scar on my shoulder-only it's not a scar. It's a birthmark. Her son's child had the exact same mark. Stephen Herondale was her son's name. He and his wife died when the baby was born. That's when the Lightwoods adopted me. Raised me when no one else would."

"That's so weird though. What are the odds of us running into your biological grandmother during the zombie apocalypse?" Isabelle said that night. 

Jace chuckled. "I don't think it's odd. I think it's fate. Maybe I was meant to be reunited with my family again."

Eighteen year old Alec pat him on the chest with a hand. "Maybe. But we're your family, dude. The Lightwood clan."

Jace smiled. "I know, Alec. I know."

In the present, Alec picked up his sibling's trays and brought them over to the tray return. Dinner was finally over and everyone was either going back to their jobs or returning home. Alec was going home for a nice shower before getting some well deserved sleep. He needed the energy for tomorrow. 

"Hey Alec! Got a minute?" Jace called out. Once he was caught up, he matched Alec's long strides easily with his own long legs. "Isabelle told me about you trying to be the hero out there today."

Alec scoffed at this. "What hasn't Isabelle told you? Did she also tell you I like to dress up in women's clothing when no one's looking?"

This made Jace pause. "Seriously? I mean, I won't judge you if you do. It just catches me surprise-"

"I don't dress in women's clothing, Jace. It was a joke."

They began to walk along side each other again. "You really need to work on your 'I'm just kidding' voice. There's legit no difference between that and the serious tone."

"Anyway," Alec cleared his throat. "Isabelle told you about my heroic act today. Continue."

"Oh yeah. She said you tried to be a hero in front of the group. There were at least a dozen Forsaken and you looked like you were going to take them all on?"

"It's not like they know kung fu-"

"No I know. But still, Alec. Jesus. What am I supposed to tell Max one day when you actually do get hurt? He'd be devastated. One of us would have to put you down. One of your siblings."

This struck a chord with Alec. He didn't even want to imagine the look on little Max's face if he discovered that something happened to him. To any of them. He'd be devastated and they were all he had left in the world. "You're right. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Jace laughed at this. They were now stopped outside their home and the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, casting a purple and orange glow over the house. "I don't believe that for a second. You're always going to play the hero, Alec. That's just who you are. I'm just telling you to be more careful out there. Think of who you're leaving behind."

"You think I don't?" Alec scoffed and shook his head. "I think of you guys everyday. For the last five years, that's all I did. I played the role of parent and brother. Max was only four when mom and dad died, Jace-"

"I know how old he was-"

"No you don't!" Alec yelled. He took a deep breath and gathered his wits before speaking again. "He cried every night for 6 months. You and Isabelle never heard him because he always slept in the bedroom with me. I had to hold him in my arms and rock him to sleep and even when he finally did fall asleep, he wasn't at peace. He'd twitch and whimper and cry out for mom and dad. It was me who made sure he slept at night. It was me who made sure he got a little more food than everyone else. I protected you guys everyday for the last five years. So don't tell me to think about who I'm leaving behind because I know the risks. And I'm taking them for you."

Both brothers went quiet. The sky was even more dark now. The stars twinkled overhead and crickets began to chirp from within the shelter of the trees. Alec never did like crickets. Their sound kept him awake at night. 

"Are you done yelling at me? Because I'm 22 years old, Alec. I'm not a child anymore." When Alec nodded, Jace punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey. Good luck out there tomorrow. Maybe you'll hit the jackpot this time around?"

Alec smirked. Jace's "jackpot" had been going around for years now. He strongly believed that one day Alec was going find the treasure and bring it home to the town and everyone was going to live happily ever after. "Yeah. You never know. I might even find some Playboy magazines to bring back for you."

Jace groaned. "Mm. Yes. The last time I had a Playboy magazine, mom rolled it up and smacked me in the head with it and grounded me. I was only 14."

The brothers laughed heartily before Alec went inside the house. Isabelle wasn't home yet, so it was just going to be Alec home for the next little bit. 

"You wanna come inside? Or are you going back to Clary's?" Alec asked. 

"Clary's. We started role playing the other night and Lord Gustava has taken Lady Petunia as his-"

"Okay. Thank you. I'll see you in the morning, Jace. Goodnight." Alec closed the door just when Jace burst out into laughter. He rolled his eyes but smirked to himself as he made his way upstairs to the bathroom. 

After setting his timer to two minutes, he quickly stripped down and stepped into the shower. It was cold when he turned it on and he yelled in surprise, but it quickly turned lukewarm after a few seconds. 

With the new bar of soap he brought home, he scrubbed everywhere. Dirt fell from his body and his hair down into the drain and when he was finished washing up, he hung his head and leaned against the shower wall, allowing the water to roll down his back and over his head. He was almost too tall for the shower, but he still managed to get the job done. 

The timer went off. That's when he stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist, opening up the bathroom window and reaching outside for a bucket that hung from a rope attached to the roof. This was his shaving water that he collected from whatever rain that fell. It was just as good as tap water and whatever was inside the bucket when he was down shaving, he just dumped outside and attached to the rope again to collect more water. Simple but useful tactic. 

He hated shaving with a razor. But with the lack of electricity, he really didn't have any other choice. He sent a thankful prayer to his father everyday for teaching him to use a razor when he was 14, and he passed this knowledge into Jace when he was the same age. He hoped to do the same with Max when the time came. 

Shaving cream now on his face, he angled his head so that his jaw was taut, and made a clean stroke against his skin. Rinsing the razor off in the bucket, he repeated this process again, making sure he didn't accidentally cut his own throat open. 

Now looking like a newborn baby, he trudged into his room and slipped on a pair of boxers and worked out for a half hour before sliding into bed. The beds were already here when they moved in years ago. Max now had his own room which conveniently enough, it was a kid's room for a child his age. Isabelle's room was the master bedroom, Jace's was the guest bedroom in the basement and Alec's was the smallest guest room on the second floor. But it suited him. He didn't have many possessions anyway. Just enough to get him by. 

Sleep finally took him and he dozed off for a few hours. The thing that had woken him up was the odd feeling that he was being watched. His knife that he always had under his pillow was now tight in his hand, and he was about to strike when a tiny voice spoke to him. 

"Alec? I had a bad dream," whispered Max. 

Alec groaned, his head collapsing back down into his pillow. He was on his stomach and tangled in his own sheets when he tried to move. "Max. You scared me. You said you had another bad dream?"

Max nodded. There was just enough moonlight shining in through the bedroom window for Alec to see his baby brother's pale face sheened with sweat. "I saw mom and dad get shot again. They turned...."

Alec inhaled sharply through his nose. "Crawl in, buddy. I always have room for you here." Max crawled in and happily curled up beside him, and Alec pushed a strand of Max's hair off his face. "Remember what I told you to do whenever you have a bad dream?"

"Count to ten and sing a song," Max said. "But sometimes I get so scared that I can't move. I'm frozen in place."

"It's okay, Mighty Max. We all get scared sometimes."

Max gasped. "Even you?"

"Even me," Alec chuckled. "I just try not to show it so it doesn't make you scared too."

Max laid a small hand on Alec's broad shoulder. "Don't do that, Alec. Like you said. It's okay to be scared."

Alec leaned forward and kissed Max on the top of his head. "Go to sleep, munchkin. Busy day again tomorrow."

Max sighed. "You're going out again tomorrow. Aren't you."

Alec draped an arm over him and held him close to his chest. "Yeah. Just to get a few more supplies. I'll be back before you know it. Maybe I'll grab something for you while I'm gone? What would you like?"

Max hummed. "I wanna say chocolate but they're probably all gone bad by now. How about a cool toy? Or some new books?"

Alec chuckled at his brother's enthusiasm. "Okay. I'll write it down on my list. Now go to sleep. If you have any more bad dreams, I'll be right here to fight them off."

Max yawned and nodded. Within no time at all, he was sleeping soundly cuddled into Alec's chest. It took Alec a few extra minutes to fall asleep as well but once he did, it felt like the best sleep he ever had since the apocalypse ruined his life.


	4. Like A Trail Of Breadcrumbs

Magnus Bane awoke to the sound of shuffling just outside his window. Accustomed to waking up at all hours of the morning anyway, he quickly grabbed his Swiss Army knife and held it with a firm grip in his right hand. He was ready to move quickly if he had to. 

The shuffling turned into rasps and growls. Forsaken. They must've found a way past his barbed wire fence that he had set up a few weeks ago. He hadn't checked it lately so god knows what managed to get past it and into his yard. 

He didn't dare move a muscle. The shuffling was still loud, meaning they were still near, and the window was open just a crack so Magnus could get some fresh air flowing around the room. Realizing now that anyone could've lifted the window up and crawled in, he swore under his breath angrily. Dumb idea. 

When the rasps and growls faded away, he let out a breath of relief. Lately the zombies were getting active. He saw an entire horde walk through the town once when he was sitting on the roof of his house and to him it looked like they were migrating. It sounded ridiculous, but he knew what he saw. He even made a record of it in his journal. He kept a record of everything in his journal so if anyone were to find it after he died, they'd know his story. 

It was slowly starting to brighten up. He could see the sun beginning to rise just over the tops of the trees as he climbed up onto the roof of the house he was staying in. Breakfast wasn't anything extravagant; it consisted of a small box of raisins and warm water. Not enough to curve his hunger but enough to keep him going. 

He looked around the little town with the scope of his gun. He had no idea where he was and try as he might, he couldn't find any hint of what this place used to be anywhere. The bank, the library, nowhere. It was like when the apocalypse hit, all traces of this town disappeared entirely, taking its citizens and its history with it. 

Finishing off his raisins and water, he climbed down and made his way towards what used to be the "shopping district" of the town. Small businesses like bakeries and little clothing stores were surprisingly still well stocked when he arrived here a month ago, with no signs of anyone even going near it. To some, this was paradise. Others it was hell.

First stop he made was a small brook that ran behind the bakery. He had tested it already to make sure it was fresh and disease free, so he filled up several bottles and put them in his bag. He occasionally came here to wash his clothes or take a quick bath but it was getting too cold for that nowadays. The temperature was quickly dropping and he needed to stock up on winter supplies. 

Next stop was the clothing store. It wasn't exactly Abercrombie but at least it did the trick. Plus he wasn't exactly out to impress anyone with his incredible sense of fashion. He grabbed as many coats, sweaters, and shirts as he could (thankfully his bag was quite large for all these supplies) and stuffed them in his bag as well. He'd come back later for shoes and pants. He had more important things to pick up. 

The bakery (called Sweet Treats, although there was probably nothing sweet about them now) was still fairly stocked up on food. This was the only place he hadn't gone through yet, mainly because he didn't think there was anything worth scavenging here, but today he decided to give it a try. No harm in going in to have a look around. 

There were still many cakes and cookies and pies all wrapped up in plastic or inside boxes. Curious, Magnus opened up a box and nearly gagged in disgust. There was mold growing all around the pie and flies were starting to gather around him. This place had more than likely been abandoned since the beginning of the apocalypse and everything went untouched and wasted. Pity. Magnus liked pie. 

He moved on to the back room. Bags of flour, various bags of sugar, all kinds of pots and pans were all scattered over the floor. Careful not to step on them and make any noise, he tiptoed around them and made his way to the back cupboards. There was a good chance they were going to be empty. But it didn't hurt to try. 

They weren't. When he opened the cupboard doors, it was as if a choir of angels started singing as the inside revealed cans of imperishable such as peas, corn, canned soup and many other things he thought he'd never see again. He was even glad to see a tin of spaghetti inside and he hated tinned spaghetti. 

Tossing all of the tins into a separate bag that he'd found at the clothing store, he carried it over his shoulder like a backpack. He'd found a nice haul today and he should have enough to help him get by for the next little while. Winter was coming and he still needed a few more supplies, but he felt that he had enough for now. Winters were never fun. The days were short and the nights were long. Temperatures dropped well below zero and sometimes he couldn't find anything to burn for a fire to keep himself warm. Not that fires weren't a good idea. Sometimes they weren't. They often attracted unwanted attention such as Forsaken or other humans. Neither of which he wanted to come across at any occasion. 

Back at his home, he dropped both bags to the floor, collapsing onto his old mattress. It wasn't much of a home but at least he had a roof over his head and walls that separated himself from the zombies outside. Besides. He didn't like staying in one place for very long. He'd be moving on soon anyway. There had to be a nicer place than this to spend winter in. There had to be. 

Voices from outside grabbed his attention. It sounded like a deep male voice speaking. Moving his curtain to the side, he peeked out the window to see a small group of people wandering the streets. They had weapons and bags over their shoulders. Scavengers. Like him. 

"Okay. We'll break into groups of two. Raj and Simon, you'll take that house over there. Izzy and I will take this one. We'll meet back here in an hour and move onto the other houses," ordered the tall one with black hair. 

The young man with glasses raised a hand. "What if we get into trouble? Like we run to a Forsaken or something?"

The black haired man pointed to the glasses guy's gun. "You know how to use that, don't you? Or use your knife. It's quieter that way. Save your bullets for things that really matter. Like shooting a deer if you see one."

Deer. Magnus almost drooled at the thought of meat. Tender and full of nutrients and flavor....he'd have to keep an eye on this group. They looked like they knew what they were doing. 

He jumped when the front door rattled. With literally nowhere to go, his only resort was to jump out the window behind him. So quickly opening it, he crawled out and landed on the ground with a thud. Just in time, too. No sooner did he land on the cold hard dirt, the door to the house opened and both the tall black haired man and the shorter black haired woman (twins maybe?) stepped inside. 

"This place doesn't seem that occupied...." said the girl. Izzy, Magnus assumed. "How long do you think this place has been deserted?"

"I don't know. Years, probably. Since this whole mess started. Mom would've loved this place. She always did like small houses," said the tall man. Magnus truly did love the sound of this man's voice. It was so deep and rich. 

"Alec, our mom would've never let us live in a house like this. We'd have it ruined to pieces," Izzy chuckled. "Do you remember when-"

"Watch where you're stepping. You almost tripped up over those bags," Alec grumbled. "Isabelle....I think there's something in those bags."

Dammit. Magnus mentally slapped himself. How could he be so stupid and forget the bags? Now these people were going to take what he worked so hard to find and gather with them when they left. 

"Holy shit. Alec, it's filled with food. Look."

They must've zipped open the bag and saw the contents inside. Magnus could hear the clatter of cans on the floor and the surprised gasp of Isabelle at the sight of their newfound treasure. He gave himself another mental slap to the face for fucking up so badly. 

"The other one is filled with clothes. I think this might belong to someone, Izzy," said Alec. Magnus almost wanted to shout out that it belonged to him but he kept his mouth shut. 

"You mean someone's been through here?" She whispered. Magnus heard the click of the safety on her gun being turned off. "How recent?"

More shuffling of cans. "This can is empty. It looks like it was only opened a day ago. So I'd say pretty recently."

Magnus pressed himself against the side of the house when he heard footsteps. Looking up, he saw Isabelle with her head stuck out the window and prayed to God that she didn't look down where he was on the ground. 

"Do you think they're still here? Or are they gone?" Isabelle's head was still out the window as she spoke. 

"Probably gone. Maybe we scared them off when we were outside. Heard us talking and made a run for it." Alec must've picked up a bag and slung it over his shoulder. "You carry the one with clothes. I got the food."

"What about the rest of the house? Are we going to check it?"

"Forget it. This is plenty considering this is the first house we searched. Let's go see what the others came up with."

Their footsteps moved away from the window. Once Magnus heard the front door close, he slowly stood up and peered inside. No one was there so he crawled back in through the window. Both bags were now gone but thankfully they didn't find the loose floorboard where he kept his ammo and knives. Grabbing those (as well as grabbing another bag in one of the bedrooms to put his ammo in) he quickly went out through the window again and like a ninja, made his way to the front of the house. 

The small group had gotten back together in the middle of the road and Alec was showing Simon and Raj what he found in Magnus' house. Simon looked very impressed while Raj proudly held up a map. The team looked pretty satisfied as they made their way to the neighbouring on the other side of the street. Magnus watched them as they went inside his "neighbor's" home, weapons raised in case any zombies were inside. He would wait for them to come back out before making his move. 

As he sat and hid behind the oil drum, he recalled seeing that same group yesterday as they raced towards the chain link fence. Alec, the tall black haired one, was trying to get everyone over the fence when the one with glasses (Simon?) threw up and grabbed the attention of the zombies. Idiot. There was no place in this world for weak people like him. It was survival of the fittest now. The weak were extinguished and the strong prevailed. That was the natural order of the world now. 

Magnus was on the ground for hours until the group made their way down the road again. He heard their voices as well as the rattle of a shopping cart being pushed down the road. When he looked, they had a lot of items stacked inside it. Their bags were also bulging with things as well. 

"I can't believe we found this much stuff today. Why didn't we hit the houses before?" Simon said rather gleefully. Obviously he was proud of today's haul. 

"I just assumed the stores would have more. Clearly I was wrong," Alec shook his head. "I don't think we can take the cart with us. It'll attract too much attention with the noise."

"Then how are we supposed to get all this home?" Isabelle moaned. "Unless we make two trips. Bring so much home then come back for the rest."

Alec ran a hand through his hair. From where Magnus was sitting, he looked flustered as he tried to figure out how to do this. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

He ran off towards the shopping area, prompting Magnus to wonder what the hell he was thinking. There was nothing in town that would help them bring their findings home-

A car pulled up around the corner and the group all looked at in shock. Alec was seated in the driver's seat, parking next to the group and their treasure. 

"Alec. Where did you get this car?!" Isabelle hissed. She sounded half mad and half relieved. 

"I saw it yesterday behind the old auto shop. Figured it might still work so I hot wired it. May need to find gas for it though. Or siphon it from other cars along the highway." Alec popped the trunk and began to stuff it with their supplies. "Toss it all in but leave the cart here. We can't take it with us."

They filled their trunk before closing it and climbing inside. If Magnus wanted to follow them, he'd have to act now. So while they were distracted with something inside the car, quickly ran over to the trunk and opened it just enough for him to slit open the large bag of rice with his knife. He prayed the didn't notice that the trunk was ajar and then he raced back to his hiding spot by the oil drum. 

Alec said something to them but Magnus couldn't hear what due to the windows being up, but they soon drove away with the bits of rice leaving a trail behind them. Magnus couldn't help but smirk to himself. They were going to lead him right to their little hideout and he was going to take back what was his. 

"Like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs," he mumbled to himself as he hoisted his weapons bag on his back and followed his clever little trail.


	5. Magnus Bane

Alec helped unload the trunk when they arrived back in Alincante. Once they pulled up past the gates, it seemed like the entire town came to see what kind of goods they had. They were already fascinated with the car, lightly touching it with a hand to make sure it was real and not a dream of some sort. 

Jace clapped Alec on the shoulder. "Damn, brother. You certainly had your work cut out for you today."

Alec rolled his eyes. "You're welcome, by the way. If it weren't for those YouTube videos back in the day, I would never have known how to hotwire a car."

Jace laughed. "YouTube. Those were the days, huh?"

"What's a YouTube?" Max asked. He had pushed through the crowd to reach his siblings and looked kind of annoyed that he had to.

Alec picked him up in his arms. He was only light. "It's a website people used to go on back when we had internet. You could watch videos and stuff. Didn't you learn about that in school?" 

"No. I'll ask Ms. Gray about it later. What did you bring back for me?"

"Bring back for you? I brought you back this car," Alec laughed when Max's eyes grew wide. "I'm kidding, little man. I found some books I think you might like."

He set Max down and reached into his backpack and pulled out five books, handing them to Max. His little brother looked them over carefully. "Captain Underpants? What is he, a superhero or something?"

"Totally. I read them too when I was younger. I think you'll like them," Alec chuckled as he ruffled Max's hair. "Just give them a read. If you don't like them then I promise to find something else for you the next time I go out."

This seem to please the little boy as he skipped off to join the other kids and show them his new books.

Simon lifted a box of cans from the trunk. "I still can't believe we never checked the houses first. They're usually better stocked than stores anyway."

Isabelle nodded in agreement. "Houses should've been the first thing we checked. That way they would've been cleared out by now."

"Well if you guys think you can lead better than I can, then go right ahead and take over." Alec watched and waited for them to reply, but both of them stayed silent. "Didn't think so. I'm doing the best I can here. If you don't agree with something, speak up. Don't wait until the last minute all the time."

Jace made a face as Alec walked away, raising a hand to cut Isabelle off from retorting. "Alec. We know you're doing your best. You've been doing your best for five years and we appreciate that. Maybe it's time to take a step back. Let one of us take the role as provider for a while."

Alec stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at his two younger siblings and shook his head. "You weren't there when I made a promise to our parents to take care of you. I'm not going back on that promise. Ever."

Jace bowed his head. "And I respect. I do. But you need to take a break, Alec. Stay behind on runs. Hang out with Max for a while and read him stories. He'd like that."

Sighing heavily, Alec ran a hand through his hair. "One run. That's all I'm staying behind on. I can't afford to stay behind while Isabelle is out there with a bunch of newbies."

"Wow. Really feeling the love here, Alec," Simon muttered. "I'm glad you worry for my safety out there and not just your sister's."

Alec shot him a look but said nothing. "I'm going to go bring the medical supplies to Jem. He'll be happy to hear that we found more antibiotics and bandages."

Jace and Isabelle said nothing as they just watched their older brother walk away with the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

"He's stressed," Isabelle whispered. 

"Oh you know he is. Taking care of us all these years? We'd be stupid not to assume that," Jace whispered back. "But don't say anything to him, Iz. He feels like it's his job to keep protecting us. So let's keep it that way."

Isabelle shook her head. "But who's going to protect him?"

Jace looked down at her. "We will. He's not the only one who made a promise to mom and dad."

~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus had followed the car for miles until he came across a large metal gate. Seeing a lookout at the top, he quickly hid in the safety of the trees to avoid being seen. This must've been where the car went. 

It looked sturdy and secure, from what Magnus could see on the outside. Getting in wasn't going to be easy. If there was one guard at the gates then there were probably more in other areas as well. 

Still hidden in the woods, he circled the fence to see if there were any weak spots that he could get through. There were none (as he suspected) and the only other option he had was to climb a tree and get over the fence that way. He had already found a tree with branches long enough that they had branched out over the fence so all he had to do was climb it and jump from the branch onto some part of the wall. 

It all seemed that easy in his head but actually going through with that plan was going to be a little more difficult and require a little more patience. Hauling himself up into the tree, he edged himself out onto the thick branch that hung out over the wall. He checked to make sure no one was around before easing down onto a pole that just so happened to be there. Convenient for him. 

Once he was on the ground, he crouched down and flipped out his butterfly knife. He could hear talking off in the distance as well as laughter but neither were enough to put him on edge. He just kept quiet and made his way along the buildings. 

Which one held the food? It was going to take forever to find this town's food supply. From what Magnus could tell from up in the tree, the fence extended a nice way around the small community. He'd never seen anything like this before. Most humans he encountered worked together in small groups to survive. These people were running an entire community. 

He pressed himself against a house when he heard talking close by. He recognized the voice. It was deep and very sexy sounding. Peering around the corner he was surprised to see the black haired man Alec inside a garage stacking tons of food. This must've been where they kept their food supply. It looked very well stocked and very organized. Magnus was impressed. 

"So Captain Underpants is really the school principal?" asked a tiny voice. Magnus saw a little boy sitting on an upside crate with books in his hands. 

"Yup. And he doesn't even know he's Captain Underpants either. Whenever he turns back into the principal, he had no memory of it at all," said Alec. "Now help me dump the remainder of the rice out of the bag and into a jar. I have no idea what even happened to it in the first place..."

"Maybe there was a hole in it and you didn't notice?" the little boy suggested. Magnus snickered at his innocence. 

"Max, I think I would've noticed a hole in the bag when we first put it in the trunk. You nerd," Alec ruffled Max's hair, this affectionate gesture warming Magnus' heart. 

"Well I don't know. I wasn't there-why don't you bring me on runs too? I can help," Max said. He dumped the rice into the jar but most of it spilled on the floor. The bag was practically bigger than him anyway. 

"Absolutely not. You're too young to be out there. Plus you can't defend yourself," Alec grunted as he lift a bag of flour into a shelf. 

"I won't know how unless you teach me. I wanna learn, Alec. I have to learn at some point."

Magnus admired Max's determination. He'd teach that kid in a heartbeat if he could. 

"My answer is still no. Now please just help me stock the shelves. I don't want to argue with you anymore." Alec continued to put food away on the shelves as Max mumbled under his breath, sounding angry with him. "Grumble all you want but it's not going to change anything."

"Jace would teach me. I know he would," Max muttered. 

Alec stopped to look down at the little boy. "Jace knows better than to teach you to use a weapon without my permission. I told him this already."

Max let out a whine. "What did you do, tell the whole town I wasn't allowed to even pick up a fork to protect myself? Dammit, Alec!"

"Watch your language. Do you want to lose play time again today? You remember what happened yesterday when you tried to steal the pudding from here. I'll actually let Victor hang you by your ears from the trees if you're saucy like that again."

Magnus saw Max roll his eyes. "I said I was sorry."

Alec put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I know, buddy. Now let's get this done so we can see what's for dinner today. Hopefully it's better than the slop we had yesterday."

Both of them made identical faces and that's when Magnus realized that they were both brothers. He could see it in their faces; identical shaped eyes, same mouth as they smiled at each other, and the way Alec was so affectionate with him. 

Once they were finished stocking the shelves, Alec had tossed Max over his shoulders and carried the giggling boy out of the garage and into the house next door. Magnus saw this as his opportunity to make his move, so he quietly slipped over to the garage and jiggled the side door. It was locked. Of course it was. 

He took out his lock picking kit and made easy work of it as he slipped inside. Thankfully he took a bag with him that was stuffed in his oversized coat. Otherwise he'd have to steal a bag from here too. 

He put a few cans of various foods in the bag, along with some frozen meats that looked extremely fresh off the bone, and a few other items he needed. Once he took his fill, he turned to leave the garage only to find out that he wasn't alone. 

Max stood in the doorway holding his books close to his chest, all the while staring at Magnus holding the full bag of supplies over his shoulders. 

"Who are you?" the boy asked. 

"Uh," Magnus managed to say. "I'm nobody. I just need a few supplies and I'll be on my way, okay? Just let me through-"

Max stood his ground. Magnus had to hand it to the kid-he had balls. "No. I won't let you steal our stuff. We worked hard to get it. My brother and sister worked to get that for us."

Magnus took a step forward, making the boy raise his books as if they were a weapon. "Kid, don't make me do something I'm going to regret-"

"ALEC! THERE'S SOMEONE IN THE GARAGE STEALING THE FOOD!" Max screamed at the top of his lungs. 

In no time at all, Alec was outside with a gun in his hand. One look at Magnus and he had it raised, poised to shoot if necessary. "Drop the bag. Now. Drop it and walk away."

Magnus was quick to act. As much as this pained him to do, he grabbed the boy and held his butterfly knife to Max's throat. "Let me go and the kid won't get hurt. He's your brother, right?"

Alec stiffened. "Yes. He's my baby brother. Please don't hurt him."

Max whimpered under Magnus' grip. "Alec I'm scared...."

Alec took a step forward and Magnus tightened his grip on the knife. "Let me go with the supplies and I'll free your brother. Unharmed. But try anything stupid and I will hurt him. Don't think I won't because I will," Magnus kept a firm grip on both his knife and on the boy. "Drop the gun! Now!"

"Okay! I'm putting down the gun....." Alec slowly raised his hands in surrender and lowered the gun to the ground. He kept eyes contact with Max the whole time, nodding subtly to his little brother as if to reassure his safety. 

Only it wasn't for reassurance. It was permission. Max rammed his elbow into Magnus' junk and raced away once the grip was gone off his shoulders. Magnus doubled over in pain and soon was tackled to the ground by a much stronger body. He struggled to free himself but this person was strong. 

Alec managed to grab the bag and toss it aside as Magnus struggled beneath him. He knew how to fight. He learned from Jace when Jace used to be in wrestling back in middle school and high school. They often flight dirty sometimes so he knew a move or two when all bets were off. 

Magnus knew how to fight too. He learned from a sensei years ago before the apocalypse went down and knew exactly what to do in this situation. Managing to move bus right leg over Alec's right hip, he flipped Alec over onto his back and pinned him to the ground. There was a spot on the human armpit that if jabbed, rendered the arms completely useless. So that's what he did. He jabbed into the tall man's underarms and watched as they went limp. 

Alec looked genuinely surprised by this as his arms went limp on the ground and a knife flashed in front of him. He felt the cold blade press up against his skin, just slightly nicking his Adam's apple. He was breathing heavily from the fight and Magnus had his legs pinned. He was useless. 

"I said....." Magnus whispered. His voice had grown soft and he looked disappointed in Alec. "Don't try anything stupid. This? This was stupid. Now look at you. Your arms are like a rag dolls."

"You're not getting away with our food-" Alec winced as the stranger pressed the knife deeper into his skin. He could feel warm blood trickle down the side of his neck. 

"Your food? That bag of canned goods you found back in that house was mine. That was my house you broke into. That was my food you took. I say I'm more than obligated to come and take what's rightfully mine, don't you think? I mean I came all this way too."

Alec glared up at him. His arms were still numb. No matter how hard he tried to move them, they weren't cooperating with him. 

"Don't flatter yourself, pretty boy. I didn't come all this way to see you. If it were under different circumstances, I would've introduced myself the proper way before stealing your food. Unfortunately that's not the case now, is it?" Magnus cocked his head to the side. "Now I'm going to grab my bag and you're going to let me go-"

A loud bang made both men jump in fright, with Magnus jumping off Alec in surprise. Max had Alec's gun pointed to the sky and smoke came from the barrel. The little boy looked scared out of his mind but he also looked angry at the same time at the fact that Magnus held a knife to his older brother's throat and threatened him. 

"Leave my brother alone," Max croaked. "You're going in the cells until my town figures out what to do with your thieving ass. And don't try anything stupid. People assume I don't know how to use a gun but I've been teaching myself for years." He lowered it slowly and aimed it at Magnus, with Alec noticing how professionally he was holding it. "I'm not as useless as I look."

Alec almost let out a laugh as the thief froze in place with both hands raised, completely at the mercy of a 9 year old boy. 

Max waved the gun. "Start walking. At least with us both in the streets the guards will see us and know you're a threat to the town. Move!"

Magnus jumped to his feet, hands still raised. "You're awfully bossy for a kid. I liked you better when you were talking about books."

Max shrugged. "Some people are just full of surprises. I got to grow up fast in a world like this. Can't stay a kid forever." He looked over at Alec. "Are you okay? Want me to get Izzy? She can help you up."

Alec shook his head. "No. It's fine. I'll just lay here for a while and wait for my arms to come back to life. You go ahead. You...seem capable on your own."

Max smiled at this. "Roger that. Start walking, stranger. Try anything and I'll shoot one of your balls off."

Jesus, Magnus thought to himself. He walked in front of Max anyway with hands raised behind his head and didn't dare try anything risky for the sake of having one of his balls shot at. This kid was deadly. Appearances were most certainly deceiving with him. 

"You didn't answer my question earlier," said Max as they made their way out to the street. 

"Oh? I forgot that you did. So much has happened between then and now," Magnus said sarcastically. 

Max smiled. "I asked you who you were. You said you were nobody. But you're obviously somebody. At least you had to be before the zombies took over. So what's your name?"

Magnus closed his eyes and sighed. "My name is Magnus. Magnus Bane." Magnus heard the boy chuckle behind him and wondered the kid found his name funny. "Can I ask what's so funny?"

"Nothing's funny. That's all you had to say earlier instead of calling yourself a nobody. Everybody is somebody." The boy cleared his throat. "Well, Magnus. My name is Max Lightwood. The lady you're about to meet in the cells is my sister, Isabelle. She has a whip and she's not afraid to use it."

"Kinky," said Magnus. "I look forward to meeting her." He glanced back at Max. The boy still had the gun aimed at him. "If I had told you my name earlier.....would you have let me go in peace?"

Max's face dropped into the innocence of a 9 year old. "If you had told me your name?" He nodded. "Yeah. I would've let you go. It would've been the right thing to do. You needed those supplies to survive out there and I know it's not easy living outside the walls. Trust me. I've been there. My entire family has."

Magnus felt a twang of empathy for the kid. 

Turns out, he did have a heart after all.


	6. Stay Or Go

"So.....you watched our group in those houses today and you cut open our rice to make a trail back to the town so you can follow it?"

Magnus sighed heavily. "Yes. And then I climbed over the wall using the big tree as a ladder. Then I got caught by the kid-he's your brother, right? You should really keep a better eye on him. He could kill someone."

"You're lucky he didn't," Isabelle smiled, her voice not quite matching the smile on her face. "My brother may be small, but don't underestimate him. He's been through a lot. That changes a person."

"Indeed," Magnus grumbled. "How long do I have to stay in here? I'm hungry. I would've been having a fine feed on tinned corn by now if I hadn't been caught."

Isabelle approached the cell door and leaned against it. "I'll try and bring back some food for you. Just stay put for now. It's not like you can go anywhere anyway."

She pat the iron bars with a hand before leaving. Magnus wanted to say something witty in response but nothing came to him. He could only focus on the hunger pains in his stomach and whatever was outside cooking, it smelled delicious. 

Hours passed and the hunger never went away. It had grown dark outside and Magnus could hear rats moving around his small cell. It took all of his willpower not to grab one and snap it's neck and bite into it. He didn't want to come across as a monster to these people but then again, there were already monsters roaming about out there anyway. The dead came back to life. It didn't get any more monstrous as that. 

The cell doors opened and Magnus heard footsteps in the dark. Straining to see, he saw the outline of a tall figure standing just a few feet from his prison. A light flared, a lamp, and the figure finally had a face in the dark. 

"You held a knife on my brother," Alec said. 

"He held a gun to me so I'd say we're even," Magnus retorted. "Why are you in here? Come to annoy the fuck out of me like your sister has? She talks too much."

Alec shook his head. "No. I came here to give you this."

Something was pushed into Magnus' cell. When Alec shone his lamp on it, Magnus saw that it was a plate of food. A slice of bread with some kind of meat and a glass of water. He attacked it immediately. 

Alec pointed to the plate. "I figured you might be hungry so I put some of our dinner aside. It's not much-"

"It's perfect," Magnus said through a mouthful of food. "What kind of meat is it?"

Alec hesitated before answering. "Deer. We have a group here that are experts at hunting. My sister and I sometimes tag along if we aren't going out on runs for that day. We set up traps for smaller animals too."

Magnus gulped his water down in one swallow. "Been awhile since I had meat. Living off tinned stuff for a long time."

Alec had now taken a seat on a chair that Magnus didn't even notice was there before. "How long....you know. How long have you been alone out there?"

Magnus stopped chewing to look up at Alec. The shadows on his face made his solumn expression look more angular and chiseled. Not that Magnus didn't like a chiseled man. It had just been a while since he last laid eyes on beautiful people. "A while. Since it began, maybe? I don't know. I wasn't keeping track."

"You spent five years alone? Are you serious?" Alec sounded half amazed, half shocked. "How is that even possible?"

"Easy," Magnus licked the plate to get the crumbs. "You just avoid them. See a human? Turn around and walk the other way."

"But....still. Being alone out there especially with everything that's been going on....how are you not dead?"

Magnus laughed. How was he not dead? That was a good question. He often wondered that himself on days there wasn't much Forsaken activity. He survived because he had to. He didn't want to die. He wasn't a quitter and dying just wasn't an option for him. 

"I'm sorry if I'm being nosy. I'm just amazed at the fact that you're still kicking. Most people would've been dead long ago by now," Alec pointed out. He was a quiet one, Magnus noticed. Thoughtful and only spoke when he needed to. 

"Yeah well I'm not most people," Magnus pushed the plate out of his cell. "Thanks for the food. At least now I'll have a full belly for when your town executes me in the morning."

"Execute you?!" Alec's voice went up an octave. "Who do you think we are? This isn't the olden days where strangers are hung or beheaded."

"Damn. I do love a good beheading," sarcasm dripped in Magnus' voice as he spoke. "So what's the verdict? If you came to one, that is."

Alec bit his lip. When he did this, Magnus thought he looked strikingly handsome. It was amazing what the zombie apocalypse could do for some people. "I was told to give you two options by the Inquisitor."

Magnus snorted. "Inquisitor? Didn't realize I transported myself to France within the last five years."

"It's what she wants to be called. We don't complain or ask questions. There's no time for that," Alec hissed. "But she did give me two options. One is for you to just leave and never come back. We'll give you a few things to help you on your way."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "And my second option?"

Alec sighed. "She also gave you the option of staying. If you wanted to, that is. You could stay in one of the residences until we find a home for you."

Finding this oddly amusing, Magnus snorted. "You make it sound like I'm up for adoption. Adopt your Forever Thief today."

To Magnus' surprise, Alec actually laughed at this. Such a simple reaction changed his face entirely, lighting it up even more under the soft light already coming from the lamp. "Don't be so sour. You're lucky we're even giving you options."

"Don't get me wrong. I do feel lucky. Those options are a hell of a lot better than a hanging or a beheading," he laughed when Alec rolled his eyes. "So. Pretty boy. Were you forced into coming here to decide my fate or did you happily volunteer because I'm the most beautiful thing you've seen in a long time?"

Alec coughed, choking on air. He didn't even know this guy's name let alone know what was underneath all that beard and long hair. "No offence but I don't know you. Plus you look like Bigfoot's love child."

Magnus pulled on his long beard. "Yeah. I do seem a little unruly. Think I could get a haircut and a shave around these parts?"

"We have a barber who does the hair cutting every six months. I'll see if they're willing to give you a makeover just as long as you don't steal from them. Or anyone else for that matter." Alec picked up the empty plate off the floor. "So does that mean you'll stay?"

Magnus shrugged. "I don't know. If that haircut is badass I might just consider getting myself a place here in.....what's this place called?"

"Alicante."

"Ah. Interesting. Did you know that's the name of a seaport on the Mediterranean coast of southeastern Spain?"

Alec shook his head. "I didn't. How do know this stuff? Were you a teacher before the apocalypse?"

Magnus beamed. "No. I just read a lot. Sometimes it's useful to know things like that. Never know when you might need it."

Unsure of what to say, Alec shrugged his shoulders. He did what he had to do here so he turned towards the entrance right when the stranger spoke again. 

"My name is Magnus, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't but thanks for telling me anyway."

Magnus snorted. "I know who you are. You're Alec. Short for Alexander, I'm assuming. Lovely name. The black haired girl is your sister Isabelle and the little rat who held a gun to me is Max. Am I leaving anyone out from your delightful family?"

He was leaving out Jace, but Alec wasn't about to divulge that information just yet. "I'm going to go see if I can schedule you in for a haircut. Stay put for a bit."

"Honestly Alexander, where the hell can I go? I'm locked in a 9x7 cage."

"I-I just meant-oh just wait here. I'll be back in a bit."

Magnus smirked, pleased that he managed to make Alec sputter, and watched as he picked up the lamp and left Magnus in the dark again. 

The temperature dropped drastically while Magnus waited for Alec to come back. In order to keep warm he had to curl up into a ball and tuck his hands under his armpits to keep them from freezing. With no blanket to keep him warm or a pillow to rest his head on, he pulled up his hood and leaned against the corner of the cell. He could feel himself falling asleep....

The door opened again and Alec returned with the lamp in his hand. "Good news. You're getting a haircut."

Magnus started from his sleep. "Great. I'm glad we had this talk. Now I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."

"Hey," Alec snapped his fingers to grab Magnus' attention again. "You can't sleep out here. It's too cold and you'll freeze to death."

Magnus faked a smile. "Alec. I'm touched that you're concerned for my well-being but I'll be fine. Trust me. I've slept in colder places before."

Alec pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the cell. "Come on. I found a small house that you can stay in until you make your decision-which the Inquisitor needs by tomorrow, just so you know. So sleep on it tonight and give her an answer tomorrow morning when we gather for breakfast."

Magnus stood up and took a step forward out of his prison. "You're letting me out? Considering everything I've done so far?"

Alec shrugged one shoulder. "I believe everyone can receive redemption if they tried hard enough."

Magnus stepped out of the cell. He couldn't believe that he was being let out, with all things considered. But he was getting a warm roof over his head and an actual bed to sleep in so he couldn't complain. "So do I just follow you or...."

"I'll lead you to your temporary home. Follow me. It's easy to get lost around here," Alec picked up the lamp and lead the way outside. 

It was pitch black outside. Many of the houses that they walked past had small lamps out on their porch doors, which illuminated the faces of the curious folks who watched them walk by their homes. They were more than likely scared, Magnus thought. He was a stranger to them; a stranger who tried to steal from them and held a knife to an innocent child. That probably never will leave their thoughts and memories of him. He sure knew how to make a great first impression.

"Lovely place you have here," Magnus whispered. 

"Thanks? It was a pretty decent setup when I got here five years ago. Luckily things improved and we got more people. A town isn't a town without its people," Alec peered over his shoulder at Magnus. "Where are you from, anyway?"

"Alexander. I don't give anything away about myself to strangers. At least take me to dinner first," Magnus smirked as Alec cleared his throat abruptly. "I'm from here and there. Never really staying in one place for very long. I suppose in a world like today no place is safe-"

"Only safer," Alec finished. His voice had gone soft and he seemed to be walking a little bit slower, matching Magnus' pace. "I get it. I really do. My siblings and I were on our own for weeks before we found this place. I had my doubts but it all worked out in the end and everyone is safe. Maybe you....shouldn't doubt it either."

Magnus wanted to laugh but the sincerity in Alec's voice made him reconsider. "I'll sleep on it, like you said. I'll have an answer for your.....Inquisitor in the morning. Right now I just to sleep in a real goddamn bed with a pillow and a blanket. Everything else is just dirt under the rug."

Alec nodded in understanding. He pointed to a small white house on their left. "This is where you'll be staying for now. Should you decide to stay, it'll be yours. Permanently."

Magnus looked it over. It wasn't the prettiest house but it was a house. That meant a warm bed and quite possibly running water. "It has its charms. I'll call my interior decorator tomorrow to get a makeover set up." He grinned at Alec's confused expression. "I'm joking, Alec. It's a joke. Nobody has an interior decorator anymore."

"Oh," Alec said. "Right. Sorry. I'm not really one for jokes....sorry."

"Don't be. I'll forget I even said that," Magnus waved a hand. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go into such a deep sleep that people will think I'm dead. See you in the AM?"

Alec nodded. "Of course. Maybe we could even let bygones be bygones?"

Elated, Magnus nodded. "Sure. I never held a knife on you or your brother. I don't even know what a knife is," he smiled as Alec grinned crookedly. He really was a handsome man. "Goodnight, Alec. And thank you for this. Not many folks these days would give people like me options."

Alec held his hands behind his back. "I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Especially in a world like this. No one deserves to be alone."

He nodded one last time before turning and heading down the road again. Magnus watched as Alec made his way a few houses down and turned into a pathway where Isabelle and a blonde haired man waited for him. The blonde guy clapped Alec on the shoulder and laughed at something while Isabelle punched his shoulder. His family really did love him, and he really loved his family. 

Frowning, Magnus stepped inside his small home and took in his surroundings. Completely ignoring the bedroom with the elegant bed and wallpaper, he grabbed a quilt off the back of the couch and curled up into a ball in the floor and fell asleep the only way he knew how. 

Cold and lonely.


	7. The Brewing Storm

Morning came. Magnus woke up with the usual aches and pains but quickly shook them off as he stepped outside. His neighbors were walking down the street, merrily talking to one another. When they saw Magnus step outside they immediately grew quiet. Magnus waved happily at them but they didn't wave back. Rude. He was only trying to be a good neighbor. 

"Sleep well?" said a voice. 

Magnus turned to see Alec seated on the swing hanging from his front porch, peeling an apple with a pocketknife. "Slept decently, I suppose. Can't say it was the greatest sleep ever. Kept waking up and expected to hear Forsaken growls outside the window."

Alec looked up at him. "I can assure you that this town is very fortified. We check our walls every week. We haven't had an incident in a long time."

"You've had an incident before? Well that's comforting to hear."

"It was before my family and I got here. I heard a story that one of the walls were rusted and some Forsaken got in. Killed a lot of good people. Or so I heard." Alec bit into the apple and chewed. "Want some breakfast? They're making oatmeal today. If we get there early they'll sprinkle some sugar on top."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Oh I'm so excited. Let's go before it's all gone."

Alec smiled crookedly and jumped up from the swing and trotted down the small pathway. "Max was asking about you this morning, which kind of surprised me to be honest."

"Considering I held him at knifepoint? I'm surprised too." Magnus sneered at a passing resident, which made them walk faster. "What did he say?"

"He wanted to know if you're a convict," Alec laughed. His laugh sounded breathless and whimsical, very unlike his rugged appearance which Magnus drank in like water. Black skinny jeans tucked into a pair of black boots and a light grey long sleeved shirt that clung to his lean muscled frame which was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a bit of chest hair. 

Magnus inhaled and had to look away to clear his head. "And what did you tell him?"

Alec shrugged. "What could I tell him? I couldn't tell him you used to be an office worker and then later discover I was completely wrong about you. What if you are a convict?"

Magnus snorted. "Trust me. If I wanted you killed, you'd be dead already."

Alec said nothing in response to this. He was finished eating his apple by now and was just twirling the core around in his hands as they walked side by side. "The Inquisitor expects an answer today. What are you going to tell her?"

Magnus sighed. Since he actually didn't do much sleeping last night, he had a chance to think about whether he should stay or leave Alincante. He weighed out his pros and cons:

Pro #1: this place was well stocked. At least now if he wanted to run away at some point, he knew where they kept their food. Weapons was another story that he'd have to figure out later. 

Pro #2: he actually had a home. Despite the fact he completely ignored the bedroom altogether last night, at least it was warm and safe. 

Pro #3: in conjunction with pro #1, he didn't have to scrounge around looking for food. No more eating corn from a tin when this community hunted and brought home game. 

Con #1: he didn't know anybody here aside from Alec and his scary sister and psychotic little brother. His neighbors didn't seem all that friendly but he hoped that would change if he stayed. 

Con #2: they took his weapons. Where they took them he had no idea but he needed his butterfly knife back. It had sentimental value and he didn't want to lose it. 

Con #3: he didn't see a way out if he wanted to escape. Climbing over the fence seemed pointless now that everyone knew how he got in. He'd have a look around later to see if there were any weak points. 

"So? Did you decide if you were staying or going?" Alec asked again. 

"I may need to think more on it over breakfast. Having a bit of food in me might help the thinking process," Magnus nodded. "Is that okay with your Inquisitor?"

Alec scratched his head. "Uh, I guess? She's a bit of a wild card. Never know what kind of mood she's in most days."

"That's like most women. And men too....." Magnus gave Alec the once over. "You don't seem like you're starving."

Alec finally noticed that Magnus was staring at his body, so he crossed his arms over his chest subconsciously. "What? Why do you say that?"

Magnus flexed an arm. "You're built. Your bicep bulges when you bend your arm. Do you work out?"

Alec scoffed. "I think you're asking questions that are a little personal, don't you think?"

"Not at all. On the contrary, I'm curious. Everyone else looks like they're on the brink of starvation. Meanwhile...." Magnus eyed Alec again. The raven haired man looked so subconscious of himself that Magnus wanted to laugh. Alec wasn't much taller than he was, but Alec was slouched to make himself appear smaller. "I think I know your secret, Alexander. The secret as to why your family look so different from everyone else here."

Alec clenched his jaw. "Just drop it. If you know what's good for you-"

"You're hoarding food, aren't you? I know a hoarder when I see one."

Alec grabbed Magnus by the arm and dragged him over to a large oak tree. Someone had shouted "Yeah Alec teach him a lesson!" but Alec ignored them. "Look. I sneak out sometimes and I set traps in the woods. Traps that nobody knows about. Whatever I catch, I bring home to my family."

Magnus smirked. "That explains why you're buff. You're getting the right intake to keep up with the muscle mass. Clever. But why are you sneaking it? Why not just ask for some meat or other food when you're hungry?"

Alec shook his head. "Can't. Not allowed. We ration everything to the point where we have the next two years planned out. The Inquisitor is very strict when it comes to this kind of stuff."

They both fell quiet when a couple passed by. Alec nodded to them. He knew who they were; they were Clary's parents, Luke and Joceyln. He waited until they passed before speaking again. "I advise you to choose your words wisely when talking to the Inquisitor. You don't want to make her angry."

"Why, she'll turn green and start smashing things?" Magnus laughed at Alec's expression. "So serious, Alec. God. Lighten up. The world might be overrun by zombies but you're still allowed to joke every now and then."

Alec closed his eyes when Magnus punched him lightly on the shoulder. "I don't have time to joke around. There's work to be done and people to protect. I'll joke when I'm dead."

As he walked away, Magnus cringed. He had to find a way to get Alec to cheer up a bit. So he did what he always did best. "Knock knock."

Alec stopped walking, turning around and raising a condescending eyebrow. "Are you serious right now?"

"Knock knock, asshole."

Alec sighed in defeat. "Who's there?"

"Owls say."

Alec knew what was coming but his stupid self answered anyway. "Owls say who?"

"Exactly!" Magnus snorted. Alec, on the other hand, never cracked a smile. "Oh forget it. Lead me to this Inquisitor before I lose my damn mind."

Breakfast was indeed oatmeal. The aroma nearly knocked Magnus off his feet as he and Alec stepped into the town hall where people were lined up with their trays, hoping to get something decent to eat. He saw Isabelle and Max already seated at a cafeteria table, with Max playing with some toys as he ate while Isabelle was talking to a girl with flaming red hair. 

"Grab a tray and get in line. If they run out of oatmeal by the time we make it to the front of the line, there's always backup breakfast," Alec whispered in a serious tone. 

Magnus didn't like the sound of that. "What's backup breakfast?"

"Dog food," Alec mumbled. 

"Say that again? I didn't hear you-"

"Dog food," Alec hissed a little louder than before. "It's dog food. Nobody likes it and nobody ever wants it. But sometimes eating that is better than eating nothing at all."

"Preach," Magnus muttered. It wouldn't be the first time he ate dog food. When the zombie apocalypse first started, he was forced to eat the stuff because that was all he could find. He vomited the first few bites but then forced it to stay down. "But it looks to me they have lots of oatmeal there so no dog food for us today."

Once they got their portion, Alec led him over to the table where his siblings were seated. Max had stopped playing with his toy to watched Magnus tie his long hair back into a sloppy ponytail and make a mess all over his beard. 

"Why is your beard so long?" Max asked him. "Don't you shave?"

"Can't shave when I don't have a razor. I'd use my knife but that would hurt. Plus there's no shaving cream and it'll dull the blade. Any other questions you'd like to ask before I resume my breakfast?" Magnus rolled his eyes as the boy began playing toys again. 

"Magnus is hoping to get a haircut today. Or at least I'm hoping to schedule him in for a haircut," Alec grumbled as he ate. "Think you can give him one, Clary?"

The redhead nodded. "Sure. Anything you need. Is there any particular hairstyle you're looking for?"

When Magnus realized she was talking to him, he snorted. "No. Never got a chance to flip through some stylist magazines to decide what I wanted."

Clary shrugged. "I'll just cut it short, then. I can shave your beard off too if you'd like. Or if you're uncomfortable with that then you can do it yourself."

Before Magnus had a chance to answer, a tall woman with dark hair pinned back tightly on her head approached their table. She oozed power as she stood next to him and watched him with a careful eye. "Magnus Bane? I assume you were given the two options by Alexander here last night while you were in our cells."

Magnus heard Alec mutter beside him. Guess he didn't like to be called that. "The Inquisitor, I presume? I've heard all kinds of wonderful things about you."

The older woman's lips twitched to keep from smiling. "Oh? Such as?"

"All lovely things. Such as what a wonderful leader you are and how well you're keeping this town protected," Magnus wanted to smirk at how this woman was eating his words up like candy but he didn't break his poker face. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to stay in this fine establishment and contribute as best as I can."

Beside him, Alec coughed to cover up a laugh. 

The Inquisitor nodded. "Very well. You'll live in the home that I assigned to you, which is the home Alexander showed you last night. Do with it as you see fit. It's yours to keep. Welcome to Alicante, Mr. Bane."

"Merci, Madame Inquisitor," Magnus smiled as she walked away. Once she was gone, he hissed "She's scary and I wouldn't trust her with a ten foot pole."

"Did you just bullshit her?" Isabelle snorted. "I smell bullshit written all over this."

Magnus shoved a bite of oatmeal into his mouth. "Of course I did. It's how you get on people's good side. Take notes, kid."

Max shrugged and continued to play with his toys. 

The blonde haired man that Magnus saw last night with Alec approached their table. It was hard to tell if he was Alec's boyfriend or not. He took a spot next to Alec and sighed heavily. 

"Fence duty today. Luke said he has reason to believe the perimeter is compromised due to recent activity. Hi," he said to Magnus. "You're the guy that robbed the food storage yesterday. Pretty ballsy, dude."

Magnus glanced from Alec to the blonde haired man. "And who are you exactly?"

Blondie (as Magnus dubbed him in his mind) looked genuinely offended. "You must be Magnus. I'm Jace. Jace Lightwood. Alec's much more handsome and intelligent little brother."

"Hey!" Max threw his spoon at Jace. "Jerk!"

"I only state facts, Maxwell. Get over yourself," Jace tossed the spoon back and the little boy scowled.

Magnus looked Jace over, silently thanking the Gods to be blessed by the presence of a gorgeous looking family. "You said you're Alec's brother? I'm sorry. I'm just trying to find where the similarities start...."

Jace raised a hand. "You won't. I'm not blood related. I was adopted when I was 10. Car crash. Killed my parents. I'll save you the sob story. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check the perimeter. Don't want any Forsaken getting in."

Jace walked off, tying his hair back into a bun and naturally, Magnus checked him out. "Is he a cologne or flowers kind of guy?"

Alec choked on his oatmeal. As he began to cough, Isabelle pounded him on the back with a hand. "He's dating Clary. Sorry," she said. 

"That proves nothing. Sometimes all it takes is for the right guy to come along...." He winked at Isabelle, who blushed and giggled. "I think I might tag along on this fence thing after my makeover. I'm ready when you are, Little Red."

Clary smirked. "That actually sounds like a badass name. Tiny but mighty, you know?"

"I'll come too! I wanna see what's hiding under all this hair," Isabelle giggled as she tugged on Magnus' long locks. 

"A lot of beauty hidden under here," Magnus beamed. "You ladies aren't worried I'll pull a knife on you like I did with Max and Alec?" 

"Isabelle can take care of herself," Alec grumbled. "She doesn't need me to hold her hand while she beats the living shit out of you."

Magnus raised his hands in defeat. "Alright. Scariness confirmed. Don't mess with Lady Lightwood," he opened the town hall doors for the girls. "Lead the way. I'll follow you."

Alec watched them leave and rolled his eyes. "How long do you think he's going to last here before making a run for it?"

Max set down his toys. "I say two weeks. Give or take. Wanna make a bet out of it?"

Alec leaned forward. "You're on, little man. Two weeks time. If he's still here, you win. If he's gone before then, I win."

"Deal. Winner gets extra helping of food for a week," Max shook Alec's hand and laughed when his older brother ruffled his hair. 

"Now get to school. Tessa's going to be cross if you're late again." Alec smiled as Max grabbed his books and took off outside towards the building that housed the classrooms. 

Deciding to meet Jace by the fence, he slipped on a black jacket to beat off the cold that suddenly swept across the town. The sky had grown dark and the wind picked up a little bit. It looked like a storm was brewing. Sooner rather than later. 

Jace was talking to Luke when Alec approached them. When he saw Alec, he stopped and pointed to the ground. "Luke says the ground is cracking and we need to fortify the walls before the storm."

"Storm? What storm?" Alec said as he crossed his arms over his chest. His fingers had gone numb with the cold. 

Luke pointed to the sky. "I've been keeping an eye on it for days. Big storm coming. High winds and a lot of rain, quite possibly hailstones."

"And the damage?" Alec had to shout now because the wind had picked up drastically. 

"It's bad. We'll have to board up the barn and storages. Tell folks to stay away from windows and board them up if they can. It's gonna be a big one," Luke shouted back. 

A big storm. Not even with the amount of supplies he'd brought back yesterday would be enough to help people recover from this. They barely had any wood now as it was for people to burn in their fireplace (considering they had one) or to heat their stove at the town hall for cooking. This was a major setback in the town plan. 

Alec sputtered when a loose branch hit him in the face. "I'll make my rounds around town and let everyone know. When's the storm supposed to hit?" 

"By the looks of things right now? Soon. Like real soon," Luke picked up a large beam and leaned it against the wall. "If this thing falls that's it. We're done. Forsaken will be crawling through this place like ants in minutes."

"Fuck," Alec cringed. His hair was now soaking wet from the rain, as was the rest of him. "I'll go warn everyone now. Make sure the wall is secure and then get inside as quick as you can!"

As Alec went to warn the rest of the town, Magnus was finished getting a haircut at the Lightwood residence and was now shaving off his hermit beard, as Clary called it. Isabelle had done her hair first, shaving half her head. This new style made her look even more badass and more scary than she already was. 

"You almost done in there? I'm dying to see what you look like," Isabelle said from outside the bathroom door. "Can you shave faster or something?"

"Isabelle, this thing runs on two double A batteries that are half dead. I'm going as fast as I can," Magnus replied. Which was true. He was buzzing all this hair off as fast as he could. He wanted to see what he looked like too. It's been so long since he last got a good look at himself. 

The door suddenly opened and Isabelle and Clary looked up. Isabelle was the first to react as Clary just stared in shock. 

"Damn. You're actually kinda cute, Magnus! Look at this squishy face," Isabelle squeezed his cheeks and smiled broadly. 

"Kinda cute? I take offence to that. I think I'm sexy as hell." He felt his face with both hands. "Holy shit. It's been so long since my face has been this smooth. Does it look okay?"

"Dude. It looks way better than having a dead carcass on your face," Isabelle snorted as Clary gave her a fist bump. "And your hair looks amazing too-"

The front door burst open and the girls screamed in fright. Jace and Alec had rushed in, with Jace holding tools and boards in his arms while Alec carried Max in his. 

"What the hell is going on?" Isabelle yelled. 

"Storm coming. Big one. We have to stay inside and board up the windows and front door. Quickly!" Jace held a board to a window while Isabelle started putting nails in it. He looked up once and saw Magnus standing in the archway in their living room and cocked his head. "Magnus? Is that you?"

Magnus nodded. "Yeah....why? Does it look bad?"

"No dude you look good-Alec! Check Magnus out! Doesn't he look different or what?"

Alec did look at Magnus. For a little too long, in his opinion. Magnus looked so different without all that hair on his face and head. In fact....he looked really good. Like really good. 

Magnus saw Alec's throat work a long swallow before the black haired man turned and set Max down on the couch. He didn't want to say anything or force Alec to say anything, so he kept quiet. 

"Max. Don't be scared, okay? It's just a storm. We're going to wait it out like we always have," Alec told his baby brother. 

Max whimpered. "It's gonna be a bad one. Isn't it?"

Alec kissed his forehead. "Yeah, buddy. It is. But you're with family, okay? We're all together. So no matter what happens, at least we have each other."

Touching, Magnus thought to himself. He noticed that Alec was very gentle and sweet with his siblings, so unlike the way he fought dirty last night when one of them were threatened. He really admired that about him. 

"Simon!" Isabelle shouted. She opened the front door and a man with curly hair an glasses literally blew inside. It took three of them to close the door and lock it again. "What the hell are you doing out there? Are you crazy?"

Simon smiled broadly. "No. I'm not. I came to make sure Clary was okay-"

"I'm fine, Simon. Where's my mom and Luke?" Clary looked out the unboarded window for a sign of them. "Are they okay?"

Simon gulped down as much air as he could when he tried to speak. "As far as I know, they are. I came running when I realized you were here and not at home-oh Magnus. Nice hair."

Magnus half smiled. "Thanks. Now can we cut to the chase and start putting up boards on the windows? I'd like to survive this storm, thank you very much."

"Well what about your place?" asked Alec. "What if something happens to it?"

Magnus shook his head. Of course he'd considered this but that wasn't the issue right now. "Don't worry about it. If we make it out of here alive, I'll sleep in the barn I saw earlier. It'll be just as nice as that house."

The window suddenly shattered and everyone screamed in fright as the wind rushed in, hailstones hitting the floor like golf balls and bouncing. They were big enough to hurt their skin. 

"Everyone in the basement! There's no windows there!" Alec yelled over the roar of the wind. "Go! Hurry!"

He ushered everyone down into the basement that belonged to Jace and slammed the door shut behind him. It was somewhat cold and damp down here, but Jace was soon tossing old magazines into his wood stove once everyone was settled in. The girls were seated on top of Jace's bed with Max between them, a blanket around his small shoulders as he shivered violently and cried to himself. Alec was leaned up against the wall, a serious expression on his face as Simon just rambled on about how insane this all was. 

"Luke was right all along. Can you believe it? And the Inquisitor didn't even listen to him. Not once. She's known about this for days. We could've been better prepared for this. Gotten more supplies. Prepared the houses for impact. But noooo. Inquisitor Herondale does what Inquisitor Herondale wants to do. No offence, Jace."

"None taken," Jace grumbled as he stabbed the fire with a poker. 

"Wait. Why would there be any offence to Jace?" Magnus asked. 

Jace answered. "Inquisitor Herondale is my grandmother. Blood related. I first met her when we arrived in Alicante five years ago."

Magnus clicked his tongue. "Oh. Well then. I'm sensing that your mom and dad didn't want anything to do with her? And that's why you didn't know she existed?"

Jace shrugged, meaning the end of the conversation. 

Alec spoke up, his voice going into leader mode. "Okay. Let's get some rest. Hopefully this storm will wear off by tomorrow. If it did, we'll check the house for any real damage. Then we'll check on the residents. See who survived. See who....." His voice trailed off. "Just try to sleep. We could be here a while."

"What if we get hungry?" Max asked in a small voice. 

"Luckily, Jace keeps some energy bars down here for safekeeping in case of emergency. I'd say this is an emergency, right buddy?" Alec nudged Max with an elbow as he sat down on the bed. "The girls and Max will sleep in the bed. The rest of us will take the floor. Any complaints?" Nobody said a word. "Good. Now let's wait this storm out. Can't be any worse than what we've already been through, right?"


	8. Aftermath

"Anything?"

Alec pressed his ear up against the door. "I don't hear anything. You try."

Jace pressed his own war against the door and strained to listen. He shook his head. "Nothing. No wind or hail. Just an eerie silence."

Alec stomped back downstairs where the rest of the group was. "Okay. Jace and I think the storm passed so let's go see what the damage is like."

Magnus didn't know how much time had passed. There were no clocks to distinguish the time of day anywhere in the basement. Coincidentally, Jace's watch had stopped because it had a crack going down the middle of it. Perfect timing. No pun intended. 

Alec slowly opened the door. There was something blocking the doorway so he shoved as hard as he could. When the door finally opened enough for them to fit through, they all filed out of the basement one by one. 

"Jesus....." Alec breathed. 

"What the fuck....." Jace fell over a piece of wood. "Is this even our house?"

The house was in ruins. The part that used to be the living room was completely gone, the wall now laying flat on the ground and their furniture sprawled all over the lawn and road. A part of the staircase was smashed in as well. Magnus could even see bits of shingle from the roof scattered all around the remainder of the house. 

"Oh my god...." Isabelle covered her mouth with a hand. "The storm did this?"

Alec's throat was dry as he spoke. "I guess so...."

"It destroyed our home, Alec!"

"Yes I can see that, Isabelle!" Alec shouted. He closed his eyes in an attempt to regain control of his emotions. "Everyone just stay calm. I'm going to go check the town. Maybe some people are holed up in the town hall and need help. Then I'll grab some supplies and come right back. Nobody move."

"I'll go with you," Simon said. "I need to see if Maureen is okay."

"I'll come too," Magnus said. "I don't have any friends or family here but I'd like to help anyway." Of course, nobody knew his double agenda. All he wanted to do was find his weapons and get the hell out of this freaky town before something bad happens again. He knew there was a good chance that his weapons might be gone, but it was a risk he was willing to take.

"Stay close. We don't know what happened with everyone...." Alec cringed. Magnus assumed he really meant "We don't know who's dead and who's alive. Or who came back from the dead."

Their small group walked through the streets assessing the damage to the other houses. Some were still standing with no damage at all and others were completely knocked down altogether. Magnus knew Brooklyn weather was crazy and unpredictable sometimes but this was just insane. He'd never seen so much wreckage before due to a hailstorm. This was definitely new to him. 

"Alec," Simon whispered. "Stop."

Alec paused. "Why? What's wrong?" Simon was pointing at something off in the distance. Squinting, Alec could see movement up ahead. "It's probably one of ours. A survivor. Hey! Hello! Are you okay?!"

Magnus gripped Alec's shoulder. "I don't think it's a smart idea to be shouting-"

"It's Raj! I can see him. Raj! Are you alright?"

Magnus felt his heart starting to beat faster the closer they approached this Raj guy. "Alec we should really turn back-"

Alec ignored him and reached for Raj. A snarl ripped from Raj's throat and Alec stumbled backwards onto the pavement. Raj had fully turned around to reveal pale green skin with black veins running through his face and arms. His eyes were covered over in a white film and half of his face was ripped off, revealing the solid bone of his skull. 

"Fuck," Alec scrambled away before Raj tumbled forward and began to growl as he reached out with a green hand. "He's dead. Raj is dead."

"Very observant, you are," Magnus grumbled. "So if he's dead, there's no telling who else is too."

"Only one way to find out really," Simon whispered, yelping when Raj reached out and snarled again. "Let's go before one of us gets hurt. Or bit. Whichever comes first."

They traveled further into town and discovered more damage to more houses, along with more dead neighbors. Most of them were trapped under piece of their fallen homes and couldn't move. The most they could do was growl and reach out as Alec and the group walked past. 

"Should we....you know. Put them out of their misery?" Simon asked as they walked past what used to be the Branwell home. 

"No. They can't hurt anyone if they're trapped. Leave them be," Alec led them towards the town hall. The doors had been chained together by the handles. As they drew nearer, they could hear noises coming from inside. "I think there's people inside. They could be trapped."

"Or it could be a trap. Have you not watched The Walking Dead back when it was popular? Don't Open, Dead Inside?" Magnus rolled his eyes and Alec pulled open the doors enough to peek in. "Don't listen to me, then. I'm just talking out of my ass here anyway."

"Shhh," Alec warned. He leaned forward and peeked inside with one eye and gasped. 

Inside were dozens of Forsaken. At first it didn't look like that many, but the sound of the door opening must've grabbed their attention. They began to walk towards the door, their growls growing in volume the close they got. 

Alec slammed the door shut before they could get any closer. "Everyone in there is dead. It's just all Forsaken wandering around."

"How is that possible?! They all couldn't have been dead when they were in there. This building is the most secure out of all the houses here." Simon gripped his hair. "Did you see Maureen? Tell me you didn't."

Alec shrugged. "There was too many to tell. It looks like half the town in there."

"And how many people live here?" asked Magnus. 

"About a hundred or so. It's like someone went and rounded these ones up and led them in here before locking the doors," Alec jumped as the door behind him shook. 

"But....why? Why take the time to round up a bunch of dead people into a single building then lock it?" Simon seemed perplexed by everything that was going on, even pacing the ground and gripping his hair in frustration. 

"Maybe we might get a chance to ask the person behind this if we ever catch them. But I think right now we need to grab supplies and get the fuck out of this place before-" A chorus of growls interrupted Magnus. "Before that happens. It's drawing more of them in."

"In from where, though?" Simon whimpered as the growls grew louder. 

"From there," Magnus pointed to the part of the fence that Alec had gone to with Luke and Jace. It was now flat on the ground and Forsaken were crawling through just as Luke predicted. 

"Come on. Let's go to the food supply shed. If there's anything left, grab it. As much as you can. Then we head to the weapons shed and grab as much of that as we can. Ammo, guns, knives-whatever you want. Just make sure you have enough for everyone," Alec waved and signalled them to follow him. If there were more Forsaken crawling around, they had to be stealthy and quiet. And Alec was the only one who knew the town like the back of his own hand. 

Quickly but quietly, they made their way across three lawns before they stopped in front of the food shed. Surprisingly, it was still intact and even more surprisingly, it was untouched. Alec quickly unlocked it with the keys that were hidden under a small crack in the shed. 

"Grab anything and everything. There's bag over in that corner-" He was cut off by growling and shuffling of feet. "Quick. Get in and keep your voices down."

Simon and Magnus shut the shed door and ducked down under the windows. The growling grew louder and something banged on the door. Simon almost whimpered in fright but Magnus quickly put a hand on his mouth to stifle the noise. This earned Simon a glare from Magnus and Alec. 

The shuffling and snarling continued for five minutes before the Forsaken outside finally moved on. Alec slowly opened the door and scanned the area. 

"Clear. Fill up the bags. Next stop is weapons," he whispered. 

"Good. I've been dying to be reunited with my knife again. First time I've ever parted with it in five years. It's like breaking up with your girlfriend," Magnus chuckled. 

"Or boyfriend," Simon pointed out. "You can't assume everyone's straight."

Magnus beamed. "Very good point, Charlie. You're a smart cookie."

Simon's face fell. "My name is Simon. Not Charlie. There literally no similarities between those two names at all."

Alec glared at them. "Can we argue over names later? We have more important things to do right now. Like get stuff to protect ourselves."

Leading them across another lawn, alec didn't have to unlock this shed. It was already unlocked but like the food storage, it remained untouched. Magnus felt his jaw drop at the sight of the weapons lined up along the walls and on the shelves. 

"Holy shit, Batman. I've stepped into the Bulk Barn of weapons," Magnus lift a machete in his hands. "Where did you get all this stuff?"

"Online," Alec replied. "No, we scavenged it, Magnus. Just like everything else. Now grab some guns and ammo. There should be some weapons bags in the cupboard."

Magnus found the bag and stuffed as many handguns and rifles and shotguns as he could into it. Simon grabbed some pointy weapons but froze when Magnus grabbed his arm and held it in place. 

"Do not touch that knife. That is my knife. It's coming with me," Magnus reached for the butterfly knife and smiled sweetly at Simon as he spoke. 

"O-okay," Simon gulped. "Nothing weird about that at all. Odd attachment to inanimate objects is usually a sign of insanity, you know."

"Oh honey. I lost my damn mind years ago," Magnus winked. "If we're done here, we really should head back to everyone else. Distribute the weapons."

Alec nodded. "I think we're done here. I know a place we can stay for now until...."

Simon waited for him to finish. "Until what? Don't say 'until things get better' because this isn't a fucking episode of 'The More You Know' and Jimmy just came out as gay to his parents and is bullied at school for it. This is the zombie apocalypse. Shit never gets better."

"Oh, aren't you a glass half full? Relax, Percy. We'll be fine," Magnus shoved Simon out the door. "Lead the way. Brush up on your leadership skills. Alec's not going to be around forever to guide you and hold your hand."

"It's Simon!" Simon hissed, but he stomped away from them anyway, muttering under his breath as he went. 

Alec had grown pale since Simon told him off. "He mentioned some kid named Jimmy, right?"

Magnus nodded. "Uh huh. What about him?"

"And Jimmy was gay."

"Yeah.....Alec, what's wrong with you? Are you bit? You sound delusional."

"I'm not bit," Alec shook his head. "I just thought you should know.....I'm gay too."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "You seriously had to make this moment dramatic, didn't you?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Magnus waved a hand to signal to Simon to wait. "In case you didn't notice, Alexander, we are trapped in an apocalypse where the dead come back to life. I highly doubt they care if you like boys or not. Unless being gay was the cure to this whole mess, then good for you. The gays have come a long way since being blamed for AIDS and various other STD's. That's a real plot twist the world wasn't expecting."

Alec blinked several times. "Do you talk that much because you just like the sound of your own voice or something?"

Magnus shrugged. "When you've got no one else to talk to for five years, talking to yourself is the next best thing."

Alec had no idea what to say to this. "Yeah well.....that's not my fault. Now let's go before those Forsaken decide to come back."

"I don't think they decide anything to be honest. They're literally walking dead. The only thing on their mind is brains-"

"Okay. Thank you, Magnus. You've been very helpful. Now please shut up until we at least get out of town."

Magnus zipped his lips after that. 

They somehow managed to make it back to the Lightwood home (or what remained of it) without being seen and drawing attention to themselves. In the time they had been gone, Jace managed to make a few weapons out of broken pieces of wood, which now resembled something that looked like a staff of some sort. 

"Better safe than sorry," Jace said as they looked at his improv weapons. "What did you guys manage to find? Were the storages already raided?"

"Actually no. They weren't." Alec zipped open one of the bags and handed Jace an AK-47. "They were both still pretty much stocked. So we took as much as we could in the bags. Take your pick, everyone. A gun and a non-reloadable. You know the drill."

Everyone except Max picked out ther weapons, which didn't please the boy at all. "What about me? You saw what I could with a gun."

"Yeah. Scare the bejesus out of people," Magnus retorted. "No offence kid, but you're terrifying when you've got a loaded gun in your hands."

Max glared. "I want a gun, Alec. I need to protect myself. You're not going to be there all the time to protect me."

Alec sighed heavily through his nose before reaching into the bag and pulling out a basic handgun. He then knelt to Max's height and held the boy's shoulders gently with his hands. "You know this isn't a toy, right? This is a dangerous weapon."

Max nodded. "I know."

"So I want you to be careful. Always have it on safety unless you're about to shoot. Then you take it off-"

"I know, Alec. Can't you just trust me with something like this one time? I'm not a kid anymore."

Alec looked his brother in the the eyes. Max had their mother's eyes, dark to the point they almost looked black, but they were gentle looking. He no longer was the thin boy that arrived here with them five years ago. He had filled out and had gotten a lot taller and a lot smarter. 

"I do trust you. I just need you to be extra careful. Okay? But I do trust you, Max. More than anyone else in the world," Alec hugged his little brother, smiling when Max returned the hug. "Come on. Let's get out of here. It's no longer safe in Alicante."

The group geared up as best as they could, taking extra clothes from their rooms. Simon and Magnus had to scavenge what they could find in close by houses but they got what they needed. Now the real challenge was to get past the fallen wall through the horde of Forsaken. 

"We'll never get past them. There's too many," Jace had binoculars up to his face as he scanning the wall. 

"Let me see," Alec took the binoculars and looked through. Jace was kidding. There were a lot of zombies moving around the wall. "I guess we'll have to go with plan B."

"And what's plan B?" Isabelle chimed in. "If it's covering ourselves in zombie guts to blend in with them, then no. Count me out."

"Actually I was thinking that Magnus could lead us to the tree he used to sneak into the town the other day," Alec looked up at Magnus. Damn, he looked so different without the long hair and beard. "Can you do that?"

Magnus shrugged. "I can lead you to the tree. Sure. But what do you expect me to do after that?"

A low growl made the group tense up, but the noise soon passed on as if the Forsaken walked away. Alec leaned in and whispered. "I need you to climb the tree and help the rest of us over the fence."

"Alec has a good plan." Clary nodded in approval. "I'm only small so I'll be really light. Same with Max. We can go first."

"Well technically Magnus goes first. If he's pulling people up onto the branch, he has to be the first to go up," Simon fiddled with his oversized coat as he spoke. "Just saying."

"True. And from there I'll pull the rest of you up. Easy peasy nice and easy," Magnus beamed. "I'll do the ladies and children first. Then the men. As a respectable gentleman would."

"This respectable gentleman held a knife on me," Max chimed, promoting everyone to look at him. "I'm just saying. He did. In case we all forgot that."

"We didn't, Max. But we need the numbers right now. And I promise you that Magnus won't try anything like that again. Right Magnus?" Alec stared at Magnus with cold eyes. 

"Promise. That was I mistake, I'll admit. Shouldn't have done it," Magnus waved his hands around dramatically. "Now can we go? It's getting cold and dark and quite frankly all these growls are setting me on edge."

As they carefully made their way out of their destroyed home, the sound of shuffling caught their attention. Turning in the direction of the sound, they saw a pair of Forsaken making their way towards them. As they got closer, Clary let out a wail that have everyone chills. 

"Noooooo! Mom! Luke!" She nearly collapsed to the ground, but Jace caught her in his arms. "Mommy! No!"

Jocelyn and Luke growled and reached out to them, jaws clacking. Luke had a pole going through his chest and coming out of his back while Jocelyn looked like her entire chest was flattened to paper. 

Jace whispered gently into Clary's ear. "Come on. There's nothing we can do for them now."

"I have to-I have to put them out of their misery, Jace. They don't deserve this," Clary choked on a sob. 

Jace sighed but nodded. "Want me to do it? Or can you do it yourself?"

Clary drew herself to her full height. "I can do it. They're my parents. I should be the one to do it."

She took a long crowbar from Jace's weapons bag and walked over to them. Jocelyn and Luke's growl grew louder as Clary got closer, but they didn't last for long as Clary lift the crowbar over her head. 

"I'm so sorry mom. I'm sorry Luke. I love you." She closed her eyes and let the crowbar come down into each of their heads, silencing them. 

When she was finished, her face and shirt were covered in blood. Jace gently took her hand and squeezed it. "Are you okay?" He whispered. 

Clary nodded, staring ahead. "I will be."

Jace said nothing more. 

Magnus led them to the bulky tree with the overhanging branch. It still looked secure and undamaged by the storm, so he got Jace and Alec to give him a boost up into the branch. He nearly lost his balance but quickly regained it. 

"Is it strong enough to support our weight?" Alec whispered loud enough for Magnus to hear. 

Magnus bounced on it, testing it out. "Seems to be. Hand me the little serial killer. Kids first."

Alec lift Max up into the branch, where Magnus gripped the kid under the arms and hauled him up into the tree. They did the same for Clary and Isabelle, and then Simon and Jace. Once they were all over the wall, it was finally Alec's turn. 

"I can't reach," Alec stood on his tiptoes. His fingers just barely grazed Magnus' as he reached up. 

"Try jumping. You're tall. Put that body into use," Magnus cringed as he said that. "Just jump, Alexander. I'll grab onto you."

Alec did jump, but Magnus barely had a firm grip on him when he landed on the ground with a thud. "Fuck. I'm going to have to find another way around."

"Don't you dare!" cried Isabelle from the other side of the wall. "What did I tell you about being the hero, Alec? Don't fucking do it!"

"Everyone stay calm. I have an idea." Magnus looked down at Jace. "You. You're strong looking-"

"Gee thanks," Simon muttered. 

"Shut it, Spencer. Jace. Come up here and grab onto my legs and slowly lower me down. And don't let go." 

Jace climbed the tree and did as he was told, holding onto Magnus' legs and lowered him down. 

"Perfect. Try reaching for me now, Alec. You should be able to reach," Magnus reached out with both hands, ready to catch Alec when he jumped. 

Alec was about to try again when growls broke out behind him. He whirled around. There were about two dozen Forsaken making their way towards him, all clacking their rotten jaws and dragging their feet as they walked. 

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit-" Alec jumped again, catching hold of Magnus' arms. 

"Jesus," Magnus grunted and pulled as hard as he could. "Start pulling me back, Jace!"

"What's going on up there?" Isabelle called. "Is Alec okay?"

Jace grunted as he hauled on Magnus' legs. "Define okay. Okay as in 'there's no zombies coming towards him' or okay as in 'there's a lot of zombies coming towards him'. You need to be specific."

Alec yelled as he was slowly being pulled up, inch by inch. A hand grabbed his leg and he cried out as he felt himself being pulled down. "Jace! Pull faster!"

"I'm trying!" Jace groaned and pulled on Magnus again. "Try to kick them off or something!"

"You don't think I'm trying?!" Alec yelled. "How about we switch places next time-"

A muffled gunshot interrupted the argument and Alec felt the grip on his leg loosen and eventually let go. Magnus finally pulled him up on the branch completely, all three men breathing heavily. 

Alec gulped down air. "Thanks for shooting that Forsaken, by the way."

Jace and Magnus glanced at other. "That wasn't us," Jace said. He then pointed to the wall behind Alec. 

Alec turned to see Max sitting on top of it, legs swinging freely as they dangled. "You know there was a rope ladder up here, right? We could've used that instead of doing this the hard way."

The girls down below snickered as Alec gawked at Max as he climbed down the rope ladder before grabbing Jace and punching him playfully in the head. 

"Why didn't you tell me there was a ladder up here?!" He hissed. 

Jace winced. "I didn't know! Fuck, I'm not all knowing! Let go of me you tall freak!" 

Magnus slid down out of the tree and collected the bags that Jace had dropped. "Come on. We got to go. It's going to be dark soon and I don't want to have to spend the night outside. I try to avoid that as much as I can."

Alec and Jace climbed down and fixed their bags over their shoulders. The growls from the zombies could still be heard on the other side of the wall as well as their nails scraping against the metal, strongly resembling nails on a chalkboard. 

"So where are we headed?" asked Simon. "You said you know a place that's safe."

Alec nodded. "I do. I just hope it's still as safe as I think it is...."

Isabelle inhaled sharply. "I think I know where you're thinking of."

Alec frowned. "You are. We're going home, Iz. We're going home."


	9. Brooklyn, A.Z.

The storm did a decent amount of damage to the small neighbourhood that Magnus was originally staying. As the small group walked through the street, bits of shingle and shattered glass crunched under their feet. Fallen bricks were scattered everywhere. Doors that had blown off of houses now rest on the sidewalk as if they'd been there all along. It looked like chaos. 

"The storm must've blown through here too," Alec looked around at the shops they'd only been to days before. "Now it finally looks like it's been ransacked."

Magnus stopped by his old home. The roof had blown off completely and landed onto another house. "My poor home. I'd been there a month now. You served me well."

They continued to walk through the streets and took in all the damage that the storm did. It was hard to believe that so much happened in so little time but then again it was believable. The zombie apocalypse only happened because the US claimed they had the cure to cancer, but it ended up being a worldwide pandemic that brought the deceased back to life. The world went to shit in a matter of days. 

"Should we set up camp for the remainder of the day? Max is getting tired," Isabelle was barely able to hold up her little brother's body as he stumbled forward, eyes drooping from exhaustion. 

Alec sighed. "I guess we can. Let's check one of the houses. Jace, you take the back door. Simon and I will check the front. Magnus, you guard the girls."

"Guard the girls? Are you kidding me? Isabelle's probably more capable than I am at protecting herself!" Magnus scoffed. "But if you insist. I'll guard the girls."

As the other men disappeared around a corner, Magnus took this opportunity to look around. This part of Brooklyn used to be a small community back in the day; he remembered how the people used to be and how active they were in various charities and activities for the kids. He'd volunteered for a few of them himself. Now all the good people were gone. 

"They call it A.Z.," Clary spoke up. "After Zombies. This is Brooklyn, A.Z."

"A.Z.," Magnus repeated. "I never knew that. I've heard people say it but I've always assumed they were talking about Arizona. Thought they were nuts."

Isabelle chuckled. "They're nuts to be even thinking of Arizona. I heard that's the worst place you can go nowadays in this country. That or Los Angeles."

"Ooh. LA. I wouldn't go there. I mean there's lots of places to scavenge from but just think of how many Forsaken are there too. LA isn't a small place either," Clary shook her head. "I'll stick with where I'm to now. At least I'm familiar with it."

Alec and the boys came back around the corner. "All clear. Let's set up camp here. Anyone want to make a run with me? See what we can find?"

When no one answered, Magnus rolled his eyes. "I'll go, seeing how no one else is eager to risk their life. Lead the way, great leader."

Alec did lead the way, rather heroically, Magnus took notice of. His stance was always ready to run but at the same time, ready to shoot if necessary. He had both a gun in his belt and a bow around his shoulders. The quiver on his back was filled with arrows and Magnus guessed that Alec didn't want to waste those arrows. Other than that, Alec Lightwood looked like a modern day, post apocalyptic Robin Hood. 

"And what exactly are we looking for?" Magnus poked a bobble head shaped like Lady Liberty on a shelf. 

"Anything of use. Food, blankets, clothes. Anything that might come in handy later on when the temperature drops even more," Alec didn't break his stride as he wandered around what used to be a gas station. He was focused and in the zone. 

Magnus managed to pick up a few things; two blankets, some batteries and a flashlight, some shirts that read 'Made In Brooklyn' and some tampons for the girls. Alec did a double take at his hands when he looked over in his direction. "What? The girls need these. Got to respect the women too, you know."

"I know. I was just surprised to see you holding them...." Alec picked up a tin of soup and shook his head. 

"Well they're not a bomb, Alec. They're not going to explode. They're tampons. When women are on their periods, they shove these suckers up their-"

"Okay. I don't need a lesson in the female menstrual cycle, thank you. I've already been through that in middle school."

Magnus shrugged but said nothing more of the topic. "So what's your story? How did you end up in Alicante?"

A can dropped somewhere in the store and both men froze in place. Alec already had his bow ready, an arrow nocked back on the bowstring. Magnus looked he looked rather sexy with a bow and arrow. This type of weapon suited him very much. 

Alec's body visibly relaxed when a raccoon raced past them. "It's just a raccoon. Nothing to worry about."

"I wasn't worried. I had you to protect me. Tall, dark and handsome with a badass weapon."

Alec rolled his eyes. "To answer your question before we were so rudely interrupted, my siblings and I were brought to Alicante when the apocalypse first hit." He knelt down and picked up another can of something, of what Magnus couldn't tell. "Our parents died the day we were getting evacuated. A guy had turned and began to feed on someone close to him and the military opened fire. My brothers and sister had just crossed the evacuation line when they began to shoot. We watched our parents get shot to death. Max was only four when it happened. He still has nightmares about it."

"Jesus Christ," Magnus whispered. "I'm sorry. About your parents, I mean."

"Don't be. It's done and over with." Alec tossed the can aside. It must've been empty. "We were on the road for a few weeks until Max collapsed of starvation. Some scavengers from Alicante found us and led us back to the community. They saved our lives so I owed them for that. I became a runner for them. Returned the favor."

Crows cawed overhead as they circled the sky like vultures. "You don't owe anyone a damn thing, Alec. You were only doing what you thought was right for your family."

Alec shrugged. "Still. At least with me out here and gathering supplies, I knew that my family was back in the community safe and sound." He paused to look at Magnus. "What about you? You're not an office worker, are you?"

Magnus snorted. "No. Far from it, actually. I doubt you'd even believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Magnus glanced at Alec. The taller man had a serious expression on his face and looked ready to listen to whatever Magnus had to say. "Okay. Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." He took a deep breath. "Before all this went down, I was a student in training to be an FBI agent."

A moment of silence. "Seriously? You're an FBI agent?"

"Well no. I didn't make it to my graduation. All this happened," Magnus waved a hand to indicate their surroundings. "Needless to say, I'm pretty efficient in many areas of survival. I was even a Boy Scout back in the day."

"Oh goody. I feel so much safer now," Alec scoffed. "No seriously. That's pretty badass. I thought for sure you'd escaped jail because your bus that was headed to the prison crashed and everyone died but you barely escaped."

Magnus tilted his head back and laughed. He could hear the echo of it over the sound of the crows. "And just how long were you thinking of that theory, Alexander? Surely you probably slept with one eye open to make sure I didn't slit your throat in the middle of the night."

Alec blushed. Legitimately blushed. The color red had flushed through his cheeks right up to the tips of his ears. "I'd be lying if I said no. But I'm sorry that I even thought that of you. Didn't expect you to be one of the good guys."

Magnus shook his head. "No such thing as good guys and bad guys in this new world, Alec. It's every man and woman for themselves. You do what you have to do to survive. Even if that means doing something that you probably never would've done in the old world."

A gust of wind picked up, making them both shiver. The longer they stood there, the more awkward they began to feel. Magnus could sense that Alec felt uncomfortable with the silence, so he nudged him with an elbow and nodded towards the house where the rest of the group set up camp. Alec half smiled and followed behind him. 

The group had managed to set up the fireplace inside the house so that it had a nice little fire going. The warmth was very welcoming when Alec and Magnus stepped inside, and the smell of soup being made made them both realize how hungry they were. 

"You're back! Find anything useful?" Isabelle handed a small bowl to Max, who was bundled up with blankets on the floor. 

"A few things. Not a whole lot but at least it'll come in handy one day." Alec set his bag and weapons down on a table and sat beside the fire to warm his hands. "You guys all set up in here?"

Isabelle nodded. "Pretty much. Simon said that the toilet has a few flushes left in it so we're so taking turns and using it. Max here did the poop of the century."

Max groaned from under the blankets. "Izzy! Seriously?! You had to tell everyone I pooped?!"

Alec laughed and rubbed Max's back. "Don't worry about it, bud. I'm sure we all did a poop like that at least once in our lives."

Simon finally came out of the bathroom and sighed. "Oh. You're back. Find anything?"

Alec reached into his bag. "Got you a shirt."

Simon caught the shirt as it was tossed to him. "Made In Brooklyn. Well it's not wrong. Apparently I was conceived in the back of an old pickup truck."

"Were you born there too?" Magnus smirked as he licked soup liquor off his fingers. 

Simon made a face. "No. I was born at home. My mom wanted a natural birth, so she didn't have any painkillers or anything. I was born in a pool."

"What does conceived mean?" Max asked. Everyone had forgotten he was there, hidden under a pile of blankets. 

All the adults looked at each other as they tried to find the right words. Eventually they all looked to Alec for an answer. Alec sputtered. 

"Uh....I was hoping to wait until you were at least 12 before we had this talk....you're still way too young for this," he eventually manage to say. 

Max scoffed. "I might not even make it to age 12, Alec. Just tell me now."

"Don't say that," Alec snapped. "Don't you dare say that again. You're going to make it past 12. You're living until you're nice and old. So shut up."

Isabelle and Clary glanced at each other and smirked. "Come on Max. Let's go in the other room for a second. We need to talk to you."

Alec's eyes widened. "Isabelle, don't you dare-"

"What? Mom and dad had this talk with us when we were 10. He's almost the same age we were. Plus he's got to learn eventually." Isabelle hauled Max to his feet and smiled. "Wish us luck."

When they disappeared into the other room, Simon snickered. "Shouldn't one of us guys be telling him how this all works? Getting the birds and the bees from a woman is just weird. Or at least it is to me."

After a few minutes of silence, the men heard Max's high pitched hell of horror and the girl's laughter as they tried to calm him down. 

"So he knows now?" asked Simon. 

"Oh he knows," Jace smirked. He smiled as Max stumbled out of the bedroom. "Hey little brother. Did those mean girls frighten you out of going through puberty?"

Max shuddered. "I don't think I'm ever going to have a decent sleep ever again. Not after what I just listened to."

Magnus sat beside him. "We all had to go through it, little guy. You'll change your mind when the time comes."

The girls joined them a minute later and what little soup they managed to cook was divided up between them. It wasn't much but it warmed them up and gave them enough strength to search the house a little. 

"There's graffiti all over the walls in all the rooms," Simon reported. "Think somebody's been here before?"

"Well I mean it's been five years since we've been blessed with the zombie apocalypse so sure. Lots of people have probably been through here," as he spoke, Magnus opened up a closet door and peered inside. "Clean. This place has been cleared out long ago."

Alec picked through the drawers. "Magnus is right. There's nothing here that's worth salvaging. We should try and get some rest for now. Save our energy for tomorrow."

Magnus clapped his hands together. "That's what I like to hear. We'll kick some ass in the morning-" He stopped short when a noise broke him off mid-sentence. "Did you guys hear that?"

Jace and Alec shrugged. "I didn't hear anything," Jace said. "What did it sound like?"

Magnus put a finger to his lips. "Be quiet. I'm trying to listen."

He strained his ears. He swore that he could hear footsteps on the roof above but he wasn't quite sure. It was probably just an animal that he was hearing, like that raccoon they saw at the gas station. Come back to scare them some more. 

"I still don't hear anything," Jace tapped the wall in impatience. "Look. I'm tired. We're all tired. You're starting to hear things which suggests you're super tired. So that being said...." He gripped Magnus by the shoulder and led him downstairs. The girls were already asleep on the floor beside the fire along with Max. "Get some rest. We'll check out your mysterious noises in the morning when you're not delirious with sleep."

Alec stretched out beside his baby brother. "Jace is right. It's probably just an animal on the roof. Like that raccoon we saw earlier."

"That must be a fucking big raccoon then if I could hear its damn footsteps from inside the house," Magnus rolled his eyes. As he sprawled out on the floor, he noticed that Alec's shirt had risen an inch or so, revealing a sliver of pale stomach beneath the hem of his shirt. Magnus stared for a moment before looking away, feeling a heat on his face that wasn't from the fire in the fireplace. 

"Are you okay?" Alec asked in the darkness. When Magnus looked up at him, Alec was leaning on his elbows, looking directly at him. "Are you still worried about that giant raccoon?"

"Shut up, Alec. Just....go to sleep-don't laugh!" He bit his lip as Alec's deep chuckle overpowered the crackling of the fire. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"I'm trying not to but you're making it really hard for me," Alec tilted his head back and laughed quietly. "I find it hard to believe that an FBI agent is scared of a small animal."

Magnus wagged a finger. "I'm not technically an agent. I didn't graduate. And I'm not afraid of a small animal but you have to admit those little bastards carry some bad diseases and that's scary as hell."

Alec shrugged. "It's no different than the disease that started all this in the first place."

They went quiet again. Magnus wondered how often this was going to happen between them. "You're such a downer. But you're right. It's no different at all."

Max moaned beside Alec and shuddered under his blankets. With a gentle whisper, Alec calmed his brother down and held him closer. "I really need to get some rest, Magnus. We'll talk in the morning."

The conversation was over when Alec held Max close to his body and closed his eyes, his breathing eventually becoming slower as he fell into a deep sleep. Sighing, Magnus sat up and picked up his butterfly knife and played with it. Seeing how everyone else was asleep, he figured he'd take the first watch. 

He almost started dozing when he heard the footsteps again, only this time they were just outside the window. 

"What the hell...." Magnus grabbed his gun and went to the window, weapon raised and poised to shoot. Even in the darkness he could see shadow figures running off towards another building in fright. Forsaken didn't do that. 

Thinking nothing more of it, he sat back down by the fire. If there were other humans out there, and not the nice kind, he definitely had to keep watch. These people were his family now. He felt responsible for them, even the little serial killer who seemed to have finally fallen asleep in his older brother's arms.   
The raccoon would have to wait until tomorrow.


	10. The Others

"Okay. So that most definitely isn't a raccoon footprint," Alec said that morning. The gang had went outside to take a look around the house and see if anything Magnus had told them when they woke up was true. So far, everything he said was on the dot.

"Male. Size 12. About 160 pounds of muscle. Maybe 5'10?" Magnus knelt down to get a better look at the footprints that were outside the front window. "See? What did I tell you? I said it was a human on the roof. But no. Had to blame it on your imaginary raccoon, didn't you?"

"Okay. You were right. Get over yourself." Alec ran a finger over the boot print. "This must mean there's another group close by and they they know we're here. These tracks are fresh."

Jace scanned the area with the scope of his gun. "Doesn't mean they're welcoming though. They could be the thieving type. Or some other bad type that we don't want to get involved with."

That morning was a quiet one. With no sign of Forsaken anywhere, it was almost like the community was still asleep and no one was up yet. The sky was gray, signalling a dull day of walking ahead of them. The group had decided that it was best if they didn't find a car that still worked to avoid drawing more attention to themselves than they already did.

"We should head back inside and get something to eat before we leave. Magnus? You coming?" Clary leaned over Magnus' shoulder. "Helloooo. Earth to Magnus."

"Hmm? Oh," Magnus stood up straight. "Sorry. I was just studying the footprint. Taking a mental photo of it, if you will. We need to keep a close watch on that possible group of humans. Jace is right. They're probably not the nice kind."

Alec sighed and followed Magnus back inside the house. Isabelle was handing out slices of dried apples to the rest of the group. When she saw Magnus and Alec step back inside, she handed them four slices each.

"Sorry I don't have any more. I just grabbed what I could from home. Or what was left of it." She handed Alec a bag with slices of apple in it. "Max already ate so he's good for now. Are we still headed to you know where?"

Alec nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully it's still standing and isn't occupied by another group."

"Wait. Where are we headed?" Magnus asked.

Alec and Isabelle looked at each other, but it was Jace that spoke up. "Alec wants to head home. Home as in our childhood home in New York."

Magnus' eyes bulged. "We're going into New York? Do you have a death wish or something?"

Alec said nothing. He just continued to eat his apple slices.

Magnus had enough of this. "Look. If you think you're just going to drag me around and expect me to do whatever the fuck you want then you're very wrong. I'll take half the supplies and leave because I refuse to be dragged around like a dog."

If it was even possible for a deeper silence to happen, then it did. Even the birds had fallen silent outside. The only thing that was audible to anyone was the beating of their own hearts in their ears.

"You're right. I don't mean to treat you like a dog. I should've told you where we were going as soon as we left Alicante," Alec got to his feet and went over to the window to look out of it. "The Lightwood home is the best place I think of where we'll be safe from Forsaken. It has lots of space for everyone."

"But it's in New York," Magnus stated.

"It's in New York," Alec frowned. "I don't know where else to go, Magnus. I can't have my family on the road like before."

It was Isabelle who spoke up next. "We could try heading west. Towards nana's."

"We have a nana?" Max squeaked. "I don't remember her."

"You were too young anyway. Plus you only met her once at Christmas when you were three. We aren't exactly close to her," Jace tied his long hair back into a ponytail. "I say we try home. If that doesn't work out, then we go for plan B. Nana's house."

Magnus shrugged. "Alright. Let's be reasonable humans and vote. All in favor of this plan?"

Everyone raised their hands, including Max.

"I guess that settles it. We're going to New York." Alec picked up his bow and quiver. "Pack up, everyone. Make sure you have everything. We won't be coming back here."

Max jumped to his feet. "Thank god. A lot of bad memories in this place. I wanna forget everything that was said last night."

Alec laughed as he packed up their supplies. "I know, buddy. Get your stuff. We'll leave as soon as possible."

They gathered up their gear and headed out towards New York City. Any Forsaken they came across, the managed to avoid just by being quiet and staying out of their line of sight. Magnus hadn't seen so many Forsaken in one place before, but he guessed that it'll be much worse in New York.

"So what are you, anyway? Clary and I have a bet going. She says you used to work at McDonald's. I say Starbucks with a side course of survival skills," Jace snorted as Magnus rolled his eyes. "Are we even close to the truth?"

"Far from it," Magnus grumbled. He heard Alec chuckle from the front of the group and smirked to himself. "What were you back when all this shit went down?"

Jace frowned. "I was 17. Not even out of high school yet. Same with Isabelle. It was during exam month when all of this happened so I guess I have something to be thankful for." He winced as Isabelle punched him in the back. "I'm serious. I hated studying for those things. Why should we let grades decide who's smart enough for a future?"

"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore, idiot. I don't think Harvard is looking for applications at the moment. Not that you'd get into Harvard," Isabelle scoffed. "Anyway. Magnus. You don't have to tell us who you are unless you feel ready. But if you turn out to be a killer, I will stab you in your sleep. No questions asked."

Jesus, Magnus said in his mind. She's ruthless. "Should we be saying all this around the kid? It could taint him."

Max raised an eyebrow. "I'm already tainted. I just found out where babies really come from. I doubt it gets any worse than that."

Magnus shrugged his shoulders in agreement. "This Lightwood home. Is it very big?"

Alec looked over his shoulder. "It's been passed down to each firstborn son for five generations. So yeah. It's old."

Five generations. Magnus whistled. This family must've been loaded with money back in the day. These kids didn't even need university for a bright future. They had money for days. "I lived in a small one story house here in Brooklyn. I had a cat. Chairman Meow. I miss the little guy...."

"I like cats," Max chimed. "I always wanted a dog back in Alicante but Alec said it would draw too much attention when it barked."

"Which is true," said Alec from the front of the group.

A blob of bird poop landed on Magnus' shoulder. He grimaced. "Then you could just teach not to bark? Because that is a thing, you know."

Alec shot him a look. "I could. But then that's only another mouth I have to feed."

From the corner of his eye, Magnus saw Max's shoulders sag in disappointment. Poor kid. "They're also great guardians. They could protect the groups."

"My answer's still no," Alec paused to listen. "Everyone be quiet. I hear voices."

Everyone fell silent. Voices could be heard off in the distance as well as gunfire. After a minute, the sound of a vehicle roared to life and it sounded as if it were headed in their direction.

"Everyone hide in that alley! Quick!" Alec ushered everyone into a dark, small alleyway. The truck roared past them just as Alec knelt down behind a trash bin. Hoots and hollers echoed down the street as the drivers passed them. "It's all clear. They're gone."

The group stepped out from the dark alley. It was Magnus who surveyed the buildings, taking in how many windows and fire escapes there were. Not that any of it was relevant. He just wanted to see if there were any vantage points in case that group of humans had people watching them from above.

"Who do you think they were?" Simon whispered even though the threat was long gone.

"No one I want to cross paths with, that's for sure," Alec fixed his bag over his shoulder. "Come on. We still have a long walk ahead of us."

Isabelle groaned. "Can't we take a car? My feet are killing me."

Alec sighed. "Izzy, you know we can't take a car. It'll draw attention-"

"But it's also get us to our destination much quicker. So I say we get a car. Let's vote," Isabelle stuck out her chin stubbornly. "Who here doesn't want to walk anymore and would like a ride instead?"

Everyone in the group including Jace raised their hand. Alec shot Jace an icy glare and felt betrayed.

"Sorry bro. Izzy is right. A set of wheels would help us get to our house a lot quicker," Jace shrugged. "I'll siphon the gas if we need it. You know I don't mind."

"I know. But I just don't like the idea of drawing too much attention to ourselves...we don't know who that other group is or what they're capable of," Alec hissed.

They fell silent, contemplating their options. Personally, Magnus would go with a set of wheels. Regardless of the attention, he could always ditch the car and find another one later if he ever needed one. It was easy. Plus Jace said he could siphon the gas if they needed it. Chances are that someone did leave their keys inside their car when the apocalypse hit and that they were still there just waiting to be taken.

"Fine. Let's find a vehicle. Something big enough to hold both us and our supplies in. Let's start in the back alleyways first. Stay away from the main roads. That's where all the Forsaken are," Alec pointed towards the roads behind them. "Keep your eyes and ears open. That group could come back at any moment."

Magnus always had his eyes and ears open. He was in fight or flight mode 24/7, even when he was asleep. "Alec never relaxes, does he?"

Jace snorted. "No. I don't even think he knows the meaning of the word to be honest with you. You know the theory that objects in motion tend to stay in motion? Well that's Alec. He's always in motion. Never stopping, always moving."

Never stopping, always moving. That sounded a lot like how Magnus had spent the last five years of his life. If someone had told him that he would meet and rage along with Alec and his small group of scavengers, he would've laughed. He wasn't much of a team player, at least not in the world they lived in now but if there was one thing he learned in Quantico was that you always had to rely on your team. No matter what.

"Come on. We should get moving before those people come back. We could be in their territory and don't even know it," Alec fixed his bow over his shoulder as he lead the way again.

A loud crash made the group freeze in place. Following the crash, there was a loud cheer accompanied by the sound of a revving engine. Car lights appeared at the top of the road, facing where they were frozen in fear.

"Move. Move now," Alec pushed everyone ahead of him into the dark alley once again. "Get behind the garbage bins and stay low. Don't make a sound. You hear me, Max?"

"Yeah," Max nodded, trying to keep his voice from wavering but couldn't.

As they ducked down, the car that had been speeding down the road had slowed down significantly. To anyone else it would've seemed like they had slowed down to abide by the speed limit. Alec knew better. There were no speed limits in this new world. They were looking for something.

Or someone.

"See anything?" A voice sang out in the distance.

"No! You need your eyes checked, Santiago! What the fuck did you even see out here anyway?!"

"I told you! I saw a group of people walking across the road! They might still be around if you look!"

Alec peered out around his hiding spot. A man with hair pulled back in a ponytail stood on the back of a truck with a rifle in his hands. He seemed to be looking for something; for them. Alec quickly hid again when the man looked in his direction, his heartbeat thudding in his ears.

"I'm not fucking staying out here all goddamn day looking for something you think you saw, Santiago! I'm tired and I want to go to bed!"

Santiago shouted something back in what sounded like Spanish and the man responded back in Spanish. Alec couldn't translate most of what they were saying but he picked up on "dead" and "morning". Whatever they were saying didn't sound good.

The truck finally drove away but Alec kept his group hidden until he was certain the men were gone. When the coast was clear, he signalled them to follow him.

"Stay close to the buildings. If we stay on the streets or in the back roads, there's a good chance that Santiago guy can see us from wherever he is," Alec craned his neck up to look at the side of the building. "They could be on the rooftops with scopes or binoculars."

"Snipers," Magnus said. His face went serious as he stared at the pavement for a few seconds. "I think I've heard of these guys. Just whispers from passing groups. I didn't think they were true but today just proved how real they were."

Alec shrugged. "Well? Who are they?"

Magnus sighed. "It's a group run by a crime lord from back when the world wasn't as shitty but still pretty shitty. Rumor has it that he stocked up on everything and everyone when all this went down. He owns most of Brooklyn and calls himself The Others."

Simon snorted. "How can one person own Brooklyn?"

"Same way a person becomes president. Power. Whoever has the most will eventually be the boss." Magnus held his gun closer to his body as if he thought he could become one with it. "We better get moving. You said you live further north, right?"

Alec nodded. "Yeah. What's the rush?"

Magnus popped a cigarette in his mouth and spoke as he lit it. "I certainly don't want to be around when the big bad boss finds out we've been trespassing on his property. Do you?"

The group shook their heads in unison. None of them thought that sounded like a good idea at all.

"Splendid. Now lead the way, oh fearless leader. If you can get us to your safe house without getting us caught or killed, remind me to buy you a beer."

Alec chuckled. "Right. I'll hold you to that. But on one condition." He took the cigarette from Magnus' mouth and put it in his mouth to take a drag. "Sharing is caring."


	11. Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since I last updated but here you go! Another update

"Here we are. Home sweet home."

The Lightwood home must've been a sight back in the day. Standing at two stories tall with fancy windows and a dangerously spiked fence, it was obvious to Magnus that this house meant business when it was at its prime. It was also painstakingly clear that the Lightwoods were rich. Emphasis on 'were' considering that money had no real value these days. It was just paper that people burned to keep warm on the cold days. 

"Wow...." Magnus whistled. "Did you guys have your own butler and maids here too?"

"We had a few. They were like family to us," Alec said as he jiggled the lock on the iron gates. "We haven't been back here in five years. When my parents escaped with us, everyone else ran too. We didn't even get to say goodbye."

Magnus shrugged. "Sometimes you're better off without one."

Alec said nothing. He continued to pull and jiggle the enormous lock that was blocking their way to safety. "Izzy, do you have your lock pick with you?"

"I never go anywhere without it," Isabelle beamed. She stepped in front of the group and pulled out a small box from her backpack. Inside contained several small instruments that were made specifically to pick locks of all shapes and sizes. 

Magnus looked impressed. "Where did you find this handy little kit?"

"In one of the houses Alec and I raided one time. Can you honestly believe that someone just left these useful gadgets lying around? Anyone could come along and take them," Isabelle looked up at Magnus and smirked. "I'm actually glad they didn't take it. It's helped us out more than once in a tight situation. I don't think I'd survive without it."

"Well color me impressed. I should invest in one of my own lock pick sets. Think there's a chance I'll find one around?"

"You never know what's lying around here," said Isabelle, "so feel free to take what you want. It's not like we're using it." The lock clicked open. "Bingo. Mission accomplished. Next stop, the Lightwood home."

The inside was nothing but dust and cobwebs. As the small group stepped inside, they were immediately hit with the smell of something rotting from somewhere inside the house. While none of them a sound, Alec made a motion with his hand, prompting Isabelle and Jace to raise their weapons and tiptoe into opposite directions.

Magnus followed behind Alec, leaving Max behind with Simon and Clary. The eldest Lightwood moved with such stealth and expertise that Magnus couldn't help but wonder how often he'd done this since this whole mess started. 

"Looks clear here," Alec whispered. He lowered his bow with a sigh. "The smell is probably coming from the second floor."

"If it is, then it can't be a Forsaken. You said everyone escaped. Right?" Magnus glanced a photo on the table beside them. He wiped off the dust to see what it was a picture of. "Is this you and your family?"

Alec turned to see what Magnus was looking at. "Ah. That's my high school graduation. I didn't want a photo taken but my mom insisted. She loved making photo memories." He pointed to a beautiful woman with dark hair and bright eyes. "That's my mom. She loved scrapbooking and cooking. Typical mom things, you know?"

"And that's your dad?" Magnus pointed to a bald man with a beard whose smile was so broad that his eyes crinkled. Alec's did the same when he smiled. 

"That's my old man. Huge hockey fan. Every year we'd go to the Stanley Cup playoffs together and cheer on the Boston Red Wings. His favorite team." Alec chuckled down at the photo. "I miss them sometimes, you know? But I can't dwell too much on the past. I've got the present and the future to worry about."

A yell from upstairs brought both men out of their reverie. Alec had raced out of the hall in a matter of seconds and took the stairs three at a time, weapon raised. Magnus followed close behind. 

Jace stumbled out from behind a room, his hammer covered in blood. When he saw that Alec and Magnus were with him in the hall, he shook his head dismissively. "Sorry. There was a Forsaken in my room. It surprised me but it's gone now."

"Where's Max?" Alec peered into Jace's room. It was also covered in dust and cobwebs, but it looked like it remained untouched for the past five years. "Is he with you?"

"He's with Simon and Clary. Don't worry." Jace walked into his room and picked up an old medal trophy on his shelf. "First place soccer trophy. I was in sixth grade. God, this brings back memories."

"Yeah," Alec breathed, "it really does."

Max appeared beside them, a smile on his face. "My room still looks the same."

Alec looked down at him. "You remember what your room looks like?"

"A little bit. I remember I had blue sheets and the headboard was shaped like a car. There's lots of old toys in there but I'm too old for them now," he said, sounding a bit disappointed. "Think any of it can be used for something else?"

Alec chuckled. "We'll take a look at it later, kiddo. Right now we're all going to go to our rooms and hopefully get some sleep."

Walking down the hall, Alec stopped in front of his door. The mahogany felt so familiar that it was like he never even left. His hand hovered above the handle as if he were scared to open it. 

"Well?" Magnus tapped the door with a finger. "Aren't you going to go inside? I'm kind of curious as to who Alec Lightwood was back in the day."

Alec took a deep breath before opening the door. He wasn't sure what he was expecting; it wasn't like his parents were there and about to surprise him and his siblings like they used to when they came home from school. Random surprises. He remembered those, even if they were memories from a long time ago. 

His room was also filled with dust and cobwebs. As he opened the door all the way, the draft that was coming in from his open window kicked up a small dust storm, promoting both him and Magnus to cough. When the window was shut, he looked around his old bedroom. 

"Wow. Look at you. Valedictorian?" Magnus pointed to a certificate on the wall. 

"Yeah. Top of my class. Isabelle would've been too if she had finished high school," Alec blew the dust off the frame. "It's in the past where it belongs. There's a guest room down the hall that you can use-"

"Simon and Clary can use it. I'm good with sleeping on the couch in the living room." Magnus looked up to see Alec giving him an odd look. "Hey. Someone's got to keep watch while you guys sleep. Besides. I'm used to sleeping in weird places anyway. I'm like a cat."

Alec shrugged. "Whatever you want to do. If this place hasn't been raided already, there should be some extra blankets and stuff in the closet in the hall. Take whatever you need."

Downstairs in the kitchen, Isabelle was combing through the cupboards for anything edible. Judging by the unimpressed look on her face, Alec guessed she wasn't having much luck.

"Anything?" He asked as he stepped into the kitchen. 

"Nothing. Unless you like munching on stale cereal or expired dog food. Did we even own a dog?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure there's something somewhere. We still haven't checked the secret pantry. Nobody that's raided this place even knows about it. It has to be still stocked."

The secret pantry. Alec had completely forgotten about it. Their father believed in buying in bulk for 'a rainy day'. None of the Lightwood kids expected that their father would be right and they would one day need the food. Most of it being canned goods, it was exactly what they needed during a time like this.

"If dad were here he'd definitely be giving us his famous side eye smirk," Isabelle laughed. 

"Because saying 'I told you so' is too mainstream," Alec grinned. "Mom would hate having to eat this crap. She's probably try to cook something with it. Like fried dog food."

"Or grilled cereal," Isabelle grinned. Her smile didn't last long as she looked up at the picture of their family as they headed back out to the main entrance. "I miss them, Alec. I miss them a lot."

Alec gathered his sister in his arms. "I miss them too. So does Jace. Maybe Max. But I think he's too young to remember them all that well."

"Yeah. Probably," Isabelle sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "You go make sure the place is secure. I'll check out the pantry for anything to eat."

"Okay. Anything we don't eat today, we'll take it with us. Or take as much as we can."

Isabelle nodded. She knew the drill. But the idea of leaving so much food behind made her ill. She trusted Alec so she did as she was told. 

Jace stomped down the stairs, followed by Simon and Clary. "The house is all clear. Secure too. But making it more secure wouldn't hurt anybody."

"Simon and I found some clothes but we're not sure if it'll fit any of us." She held out a box full of clothes in her arms. "Max grew so none of his clothes will fit. But I did find some of Jace's old clothes that I can hem up so they'll fit him better."

"Thanks Clary. It's practically impossible to find clothes for Max. He keeps growing," Alec chuckled. "Where is he anyway?"

"Up in his room," Simon pointed out. "He said he found some old comic books in Jace's room so he's off reading them."

"Comics?" Jace's eyes widened. "Those are collectibles! They're not supposed to be taken out of their plastic wrap!"

Clary placed a hand on Jace's shoulder. "Jace. I doubt they have any value anymore. Not in this world anyway." She offered him a smile as he frowned and grumbled something under his breath. "I'll go get to work on the clothes. There's a sewing kit in one of the upstairs rooms that I'm dying to use."

Alec nodded. "Jace and I will secure the windows and doors. Simon, you watch Max. Make sure he doesn't-"

"Do anything stupid? I'm on it, boss," Simon smirked, taking the stairs two at a time.

Isabelle returned to the dining room holding two boxes full of food. By the look on her face, Alec guessed she was very excited that the pantry wasn't raided. "Look at all this food!" She exclaimed. "We got corn. Peas. Tons of soup. Meatballs and gravy. This is gourmet just waiting to happen."

They shared some meatballs and gravy that evening. It was served cold because Alec didn't want to risk starting a fire and attracting unwanted visitors to the house. 

"The last thing we need is outsiders realizing there's food and other necessities here," Alec said. "We don't have enough ammo to keep them out."

"Relax, brother. No one's getting in here. You and Jace fortified the place entirely from top to bottom," Isabelle said as she licked her spoon clean. "I think we're good here."

"You can't be too careful," Magnus whispered. He had munching on some cereal, as stale as it was, but remained quiet for the entire evening. "While you guys were running around earlier, I took the liberty of checking out the roof for a vantage point."

Alec looked at him. "How did you get on the roof?"

Magnus pointed to the ceiling. "Attic. Then there's like a door of some sort that leads to the roof. Needless to say, you can see for miles up there. Great vantage point."

"So you're staying up there while we sleep?" Alec asked. "Wouldn't that be uncomfortable? It's not exactly summer out there."

Magnus shook his head. "So many questions. I'll be fine, Alexander. I'll just sleep while you guys are still awake and then take watch when you go to bed. I don't need much sleep anyway."

A pang of remorse went through Alec as Magnus turned over on his side and closed his eyes. "I can take watch with you if you want. That way you won't be alone up there."

Magnus turned to look at him. "That won't be necessary but you can join me if you want. Just don't get pissy at me if you fall asleep and I didn't wake you up."

"I won't get pissy," Alec grumbled, "and I won't fall asleep. If I'm on watch, I take it very seriously."

"He really does," Jace chimed in. "He once stayed up for over 24 hours on watch back in Alicante. He's a bit stubborn-ow!" He winced as Isabelle punched him, putting a finger to her lips. Max was sound asleep on the floor next to them, curled up into a ball. 

"I'll bring him to his room," Simon whispered. He was about to lift the boy into his arms when Magnus stopped him. "What? What's wrong?"

Magnus shook his head. "I think we're better off staying in one room together. That way if anything happens, we're all together if we need to make a quick escape."

Alec hadn't thought of that. "Makes sense. If we sleep in separate rooms, there's a higher risk of something happening. We might not make to each other in time."

Jace raised an eyebrow while Isabelle stared at her older brother in surprise, but it was Clary who spoke. "Alright. We'll stay here. There's enough blankets and pillows to go around. I dusted them all off earlier."

When everyone had a blanket and pillow, Jace pulled Alec off to the side of the group. "Since when did you start listening to another authoritative figure?"

Alec squinted in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Magnus," Jace nodded in the group's direction. "You're taking his advice a lot. Ever since we left Alicante. Why?"

Alec sighed. "He has experience, Jace. He knows a lot more than we do. Plus he's lived out here a hell of a lot longer than we did. He didn't have a community of his own. We did."

Jace was quiet for a moment before shrugging. "Okay. Whatever you say. I trust you. I mean I trust Magnus too but I trust you even more. If you say that Magnus has more experience, then I believe you-"

"I have experience with what," Magnus said. "You're obviously over there talking about me like I'm not even here. So spill. What are you two talking about?"

Alec spoke before Jace could open his mouth. "Jace was just saying that you have more experience out here than we do. You're a valuable asset to the group." He knew Jace was giving him a weird look but he ignored it and hopes that Magnus didn't notice. 

He didn't. 

"So now that we're getting all cozied up for the evening, who's taking first watch?" Jace asked. 

"I will. I don't mind. I practically live off of little sleep nowadays anyway," replied Magnus. He had already gathered up his weapon and made his way to the main stairwell, assuming position at the bottom of the stairs. 

Alec followed him. "Are you sure? You've been walking all day. You need to rest."

Magnus snorted. "You've been walking the same amount of time that I have, Alec. Go to sleep. I'll wake you up if something happens."

Saying nothing more, Alec laid out his mattress that he had slid down the stairs earlier and spread some blankets on it. His siblings, Simon and Clary did the same. Max had already fallen to his own mattress, sound asleep already before the rest of the group even finished setting up their sleeping arrangements. With a smile, Alec pulled a blanket up over his youngest sibling and ruffled his hair affectionately. 

"It feels good to be home again, huh?" Isabelle whispered when she crawled into her own bed. "I mean it's been a while but it still feels like home."

"It feels different. It's not the same as before." Alec stretched out and rest his hands under his head. "The only thing missing is mom and dad."

Isabelle fell silent. When Alec looked at her to see if she had fallen asleep, he saw that she was gazing at him with a sad expression. 

"Do you think we could've saved them?" Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke. 

Alec turned to look up at the ceiling. "No. There was nothing we could've done that day. We were already past the checkpoint-"

"But we could've gone back," Isabelle hissed. "We could've gone back for them."

Jace, who had been listening intently the entire time, finally said something. "Isabelle. Stop. It's in the past now. We need to focus on the present and the future."

"I am thinking of the present," she snapped, "and I'm always thinking of the future. Max would still have had parents if we went back to save them that day. He wouldn't have nightmares every night-"

"Isabelle," Alec's voice was low and serious. "Enough. Get some rest. We need it for tomorrow when we go out to scavenge."

"Scavenge?" Simon perked up. Turns out, he wasn't asleep either and was listening in on the conversation that the Lightwood siblings were having. "We're staying here?"

"For a few days. I thought we could stock up on supplies just in case we need to stay longer than we have to." Alec lifted his head and looked out at Magnus. The man was still seated at the staircase, his gun in his hands, and eyes alert to his surroundings. "We all need to get some rest for tomorrow. Go to sleep."

Simon rolled his eyes. "Okay, mom. Whatever you say-" He grunted as Jace punched him in the shoulder. 

Alec stayed awake for a while longer, just watching Magnus sitting on the staircase. He considered going over and keeping Magnus company, but his eyes were so heavy and so tired that he fell asleep before he could even get up to join him. 

It was the best sleep he had in years.


	12. City of Bones

A hand clamped over Alec's mouth. Body stiffening in both fear and reflex, Alec's eyes snapped open to see who his attacker was. To his surprise, it was Magnus. 

Magnus put a finger to his lips and shook his head. There was something wrong. Alec wanted to ask him what the hell was going on but his mouth was covered and there noises coming from outside the home. 

"Mm?" Alec muffled through Magnus' hand. 

"We're surrounded," Magnus responded in a low whisper. "They know we're here."

Alec slapped the hand that was covering his mouth away. "Who?" He whispered. "Who knows we're here?"

"What's going on?" Isabelle had woken up at this point, her voice loud and demanding. 

Alec covered her mouth. "Shh. Keep your voice down. There's someone outside."

"Or something," Jace was awake and ready to attack, weapon in his hand. "Clary, take Max and go upstairs. Quietly but quickly."

Clary nodded. "Max....Max sweetie wake up."

Max moaned. "What's going on? Why is everyone awake so late at night?"

"We're moving you upstairs, okay bud? You can sleep in your own bed," Alec smiled. He didn't want to tell the truth to Max in case he worried his little brother. "Clary is going to stay with you while the rest of us stay down here."

Max glanced at Clary, eyes squinted in suspicion. "Fine. But I'm taking my gun with me."

As Clary and Max disappeared upstairs, the adults downstairs slowly picked up their weapons and aimed them at the windows and doors. The shadows that were moving around just outside had stopped, but now they could hear chatter and feet shuffling around. 

"It can't be Forsaken. They don't talk," Jace pointed out. 

"Another group maybe?" Isabelle shrugged. Her dagger was sharp and shiny from the previous hours before they went to sleep when she sharpened it and cleaned it. She looked deadly. 

"That would make sense," Simon whispered, "considering the size of New York and all the places that survivors could squat in."

Alec grunted in frustration. "Just keep your voices down and don't make any noise. We don't want them to find out we're in here."

Magnus snorted. "I'm pretty sure they already know, Alexander. Otherwise they wouldn't have the place surrounded like a pack of wild dogs."

A window was smashed from in the kitchen and a man holding a machete rushed into the room. Jace fired his gun and the bullet struck the man right between the eyes. He collapsed instantly. 

"Shit. Everyone head upstairs-" Alec was cut off when Max screamed from upstairs. "Max! I'm coming!"

Chaos ensued as more windows were smashed in and strange people Alec had never seen before in his life climbed in. Alec shot a man as he came at him with a hammer, but quickly made his way to the staircase and took them three at a time. 

"Clary! She's up there too!" Jace shouted. He was clubbed in the back of his by a man with a shaggy beard and he fell to the floor, unconscious. 

Alec was torn between going upstairs to help his little brother and Clary and going back down to help defend his home but another scream from Max drew him up the long staircase. He shot someone-a woman-who jumped out at him from a broken window and wrapped a wire around his throat. 

He struggled to throw her off of him. The wire, which was one of those cords that people used to plug their phones in with, was wrapped tightly around his throat and he began to choke and struggled to breathe as he saw the edges of his vision start to go black. Wheezing, he fell to his knees and fell into unconsciousness.

\----------

"Alec? Alec, are you okay?"

Alec's ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. Every sound was muffled and when he slowly opened his eyes to see where he was and who was talking to him, he discovered that his vision was blurry. Also, his neck hurt. A lot. 

"Where...where am I?" He croaked. His voice sounded like he had swallowed sand; it was rough and scratchy. 

"I don't know where we are," said the muffled voice. "We had black bags over our heads when they moved us from the house. We're in some sort of basement at the moment."

Alec sat up carefully. His eyes were starting to clear up and he could make out the distinct shape of Magnus sitting beside him. Then he saw Jace. Then Clary. Isabelle and Simon. 

"Where's Max?" Alec frantically looked around the dark basement. "Where's my baby brother?!"

Magnus reached out with a hand to calm him. "Relax. He's here. He's laying with his head on Isabelle's lap. See?"

Alec could see, from what little light was shining through the cramped basement, his little brother sound asleep on his sister's lap. He looked okay and unharmed. "Oh thank god. Did they hurt any of you?"

Jace shrugged. "They got me pretty good in the back of the head. Might have a minor concussion. Clary is fine."

"I'm fine too," Isabelle said. "But Simon tripped trying to get away and bumped his head on a doorway."

"Thanks for making me sound heroic," Simon smiled sarcastically. "I was actually being chased by an ax wielding maniac. You'd run too."

Alec sighed deeply. He was thankful that none of his family were hurt. "What about you? Are you hurt?"

Magnus looked up at him through the darkness. "I'm okay. I'm not hurt or anything. Just angry that some people would do this. Scare others when we all have the same goal."

"Yeah well," Alec stretched his cramped muscles. The basement truly was smaller than he thought it was. "People do what they have to do to survive."

Magnus shrugged. "I guess. But we had a kid with us. They probably scared the shit out of Max-"

"I wasn't scared," whispered Max's little voice. It had a slight tremble to it but his face looked serious as he spoke. "I wasn't scared, Alec."

"It's okay, buddy. I believe you," Alec smiled and rubbed his youngest sibling's shoulder. "So...does anyone have any idea how we're getting out of here?"

No one said anything. Either they genuinely had no idea how they were going to escape or they were to scared to say anything. There was a guard standing at the door upstairs, Alec could see that much. But when he tried to get up he came to discover that they were all chained to the floor. 

"What the-" Alec yanked at the chain. "We're chained to the floor!"

"Nice observation. What else are you going to tell us? That we're in the dark?" Magnus' voice was laced with bitter sarcasm. "Yes, we're chained to the floor. They did it right when we were forced down here."

"And where is here exactly?" Alec pat the walls. They felt wet and cold to the touch. 

"Basement," Jace grumbled. "No bigger than 6x6, I'd say."

"That's more of a cell. Not a basement," Isabelle whispered as Max whimpered softly. She stroked his hair to calm him down. 

Alec barely had enough room to stretch his legs out. If he tried to stand up, he knew he would crack his head off the ceiling. He was too big for this cell of a basement. "Okay. Okay. Let's collect our thoughts and try to figure out a way to-"

"You won't be getting out any time soon," came a voice from upstairs. The group all looked up when the door at the top of the stairs opened and a bright light shone down at them, causing them to squint in the sudden brightness. "At least not while I can help it."

"Who are you?! What do you want from us?!" Alec croaked.

"It's not about what I want. It's about what my boss wants," said the voice. "Go down and unchain them but cuff their hands. We don't want a Jem Carstairs situation again."

Someone stomped down the stairs and began cuffing their hands behind their back one by one before unchaining their ankles. Alec was the last to get cuffed. He was about to muster up his strength and attack but a look from Magnus made him think twice. So he allowed his arms to be pinned behind his back and linked together with a pair of handcuffs. 

"All done? Excellent. Now one by one, come up the stairs and line up against the wall here. I'll show you around a little bit," the voice, undeniably the voice of a man, demanded. "Quickly. I don't have all day."

The group all shuffled upstairs as quickly as they could, which wasn't very fast considering they were chained in a cramped room for hours, but eventually made it to the brightly lit hallway at the top of the stairs. They lined up like they were as the man spoke to them again. 

"You'll follow me in a single file. Your eyes will remain up front at all times. If anyone tries anything, you will get shot. Do I make myself clear?" The man asked. 

Alec eyed his captor carefully. He wasn't very tall, maybe about 5'10 or so, with dark hair and brown eyes. He didn't look too friendly and a name tag on his jacket said "Raphael". 

"No questions? Good follow me. The boss will see you now," Raphael nudged Alec forward with his gun. "Come on now, Pretty Boy. Don't be shy. We only hurt people if they deserve it."

"And do you deserve it?" Magnus, at the back of the line, spoke up. Alec heard a grunt as a blow landed and forced himself not to look back to make sure he was okay. 

"Nobody ever listens to me when I talk," Raphael sighed. "Hopefully your friend learned his lesson back there. Pangborn likes smacking people around. Even if they don't deserve it."

Alec bit his lip. He wasn't going to say anything. As much as he wanted to, he had to bite down so hard on his lip that he tasted blood. 

They were led outside where a light misty rain was falling. Alec wasn't sure where they were exactly but there were houses lined up on either side of them, lit with torches and armed with guards. Because he couldn't turn around to look, he made a mental note when they first emerged from the cell that the end of the road was blocked off by a wall made of....well, he wasn't sure what it was made of. It looked like scraps of large metal welded together. Sloppily made but it looked sturdy enough to keep out Forsaken. 

"Where are we?" Alec asked Raphael. 

"That's not my question to answer," Raphael replied. "Boss will answer any questions you have. He usually gives you three. Extra questions require sacrifice. Fingers usually work-"

"What the fuck?!" Jace yelled from the lineup. Alec heard another grunt as Jace stumbled forward. "You people are sick fucks!"

"Jace, that's enough!" Alec called back to his brother as he heard a cry of pain. "Please. Just keep quiet."

Raphael chuckled. "I take it you're the leader?" When Alec didn't reply, he smiled broadly. "A rule follower. I like that. Boss will too and judging from the look of things so far, I think you'll fit right in, big guy. Not much further now."

They walked a little further up the road until they reached a tall brick building only lit by a few torches. Inside, however, had working electricity. The guards at the front nodded as Raphael waved at them to open the door and they did. 

The inside was incredible. The Lightwood mansion was put to shame by the architecture and the decorative objects lining the walls, a deer head being one of the many trophies being displayed. 

"Jesus," Simon whispered. Alec could feel him breathing down the back of his neck as he spoke. "This place is amazing!"

"The boss like his trophies," Raphael said. "If you like that then you'll love his trophy room." He nodded his nodded in the direction of a large white door. "This way."

They stepped through the doors and immediately they were hit with a pungent odour of something dead and decaying. The room was dark, so it was hard for Alec to tell what that smell was exactly. He coughed and gagged. The rest of the group did the same. 

"Boss! I brought them here like you asked me to," Raphael called out to the darkness. 

"Excellent" echoed a deep voice. "Let's turn on some lights, shall we?"

Alec blinked and squinted as the lights overhead came on....and he gasped in shock at the sight around him. 

Severed heads. Hundreds of severed heads line the walls around them and much like the deer head in the previous room, they were displayed on the walls like trophies. Some were of Forsaken while others were human heads, unturned. 

Behind him, Alec heard Clary vomit and Max burst into tears. Jace was swearing and Isabelle joined him, but he couldn't hear Magnus. He hadn't said a single word since they left the cell just minutes ago and he still hasn't said anything, even when the room around them was revealed. Alec found this oddly suspicious. 

A man appeared at the front of the room. Somewhat stocky build, bald head and piercing eyes, he smiled and outstretched his arms as if I'm welcome. 

"Newcomers! It's been a while since we brought anyone to this lovely town. Please forgive my men's behaviour. They can get a bit rowdy sometimes."

Alec stared up at him, unsure if he should speak or not. "Where are we?"

The man laughed. "Where are you? You, my boy, are in the greatest little survivor outpost in the USA. It might not look like much from the outside but on the inside-" He scoffed and laughed. "Anyway. Welcome. Welcome to the City of Bones."


	13. Secrets and Lies

"Welcome to the City of Bones."

City of Bones. The name almost suited what surrounded the small group on the wall. It should've been named "City of Severed Heads" but Alec refrained from saying anything that could risk the lives of his group.

"I think they're speechless," Raphael chuckled. "They don't seem to be responding well to our hospitality."

"Give them time," Valentine said. He had made his way towards Alec, eyeing each one of them carefully. "You. What's your name?"

Alec didn't look up and didn't respond, which prompted the bald headed man to grab his hair and force his head back. He winced at the contact but still said nothing. 

"How rude. I asked you what your name was. Normally people respond with their name or a pleasant 'fuck you!'" The man laughed and leaned in close to Alec's face. "I'm Valentine Morgenstern. I'm kind of a big deal around these parts. Have you heard of me before?"

The hand gripping his hair tightened and Alec grunted in pain. "No. No, I haven't. None of have."

Valentine looked over at Raphael. "Hear that? They've never heard of me before." He laughed as he returned his attention to Alec. "Where are you from? You must've came from a different community. Wandered off too far from the herd."

He seemed to think this was funny as he released Alec's hair from his grip. The eldest Lightwood shook out his head, still feeling the ghost of Valentine's fingers on the back of his head. "Our community was destroyed in a freak storm. We've been on the road ever since-"

"Which community? My men have never come across another group of people from another community before," asked Valentine. He seemed genuinely interested in where they were from. 

Isabelle spoke up. "Alicante. It's completely destroyed now and everyone is dead."

Valentine turned his attention to her. "Alicante? Never heard of it. Who was your leader?"

"We didn't have a leader. We had a council," Clary said. "Selected individuals who voted-"

"I know what a council is, Clarissa. But thank you for trying to explain it to me," Valentine said with a smile. 

Everyone turned to look at Clary, including Alec. How did this man know who she was? She looked mortified at the fact that this stranger knew her name and was probably just as surprised as they were. 

"Since you're all here, I'll lay down some ground rules. Things that will help keep you alive during your stay here in this humble little community." Valentine spun on his heel to face the wall behind him. "You will all be given a job to do. You will work from 8 am to 8 pm. If you don't like the job given to you well that's just too bad because once it's given to you, there's no declining it. With me so far?"

The group said nothing, but what sounded like a laugh hidden under a cough came from Magnus. Alec failed to see what was so funny.

Valentine continued. "You will work everyday on a 12 hour shift unless you're a runner. You get back when you get back. All the other jobs have 12 hour shifts so you can be either on the day shift or night one. All depends."

At the mention of runners, Alec perked up. He knew he shouldn't have because this man and this place in general disgusted him, but if he was going to do a job here, he'd rather do something he was familiar with. "Do we get to pick our jobs?" He asked. 

"I figured you were going to ask that," Valentine said as he tapped Alec on the forehead. "And the answer is no. You will be assigned a job of my choosing. If you don't like it, then deal with it. Because that's the job you're stuck with for the remainder of your stay."

"Remainder of our stay?" Simon exclaimed. "How long do you plan on keeping us here?!"

Valentine laughed. "You say that as if I'm keeping you prisoner here!"

"And are you?" Magnus' calm and cool voice asked. Alec was amazed by how stoic he was about the whole situation they were in. "Keeping us prisoner here, I mean. Because last I checked you don't throw visitors in a cell in the basement and chain them to the floor. That's rude."

Valentine turned to look at him. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"

Magnus shrugged. "I just have one of those faces, I guess. I am stunning to look at."

Valentine laughed. If it wasn't for his sadistic first impression that he made on the group, they all would've thought that his laugh was contagious. Boisterous and loud, he laughed until he had to stop and catch his breath. "I like you! I think I'll make you my right hand man. You might be useful somehow. Now where to put the rest of you..."

He circled them like a cat circling its prey. Alec felt like he was being caged in or cornered and that was a feeling he always hated, even as a child. "Do you have many runners? People who go on supply runs?"

Valentine paused. "As a matter of fact, I don't. We lost some of our people on a raid a few days ago. Another group, apparently. Bombarded us from all sides. It was a massacre."

Alec pulled against his cuffs, his arms beginning to cramp up. "I'll be a runner. I was one at my community."

"So was I," said Isabelle. "My brother and I were two of the best."

"Thanks?" Jace grumbled, earning himself a nudge from Clary. 

Valentine eyed them all before kneeling down in front of Max. "And how old are you, little man? You haven't said a word since we brought you here."

Alec felt a spike of anxiety rise in his throat. He didn't like how close this creep was to his baby brother and he pulled at his restraints to try and get free from them to go protect Max. 

Max whimpered. "I'm nine," his little voice said, "and please don't make me a runner. My brother Alec says I'm not old enough yet."

Valentine chuckled. "Your brother sounds smart. Which one of these gentleman is Alec?"

As Valentine reached up to pat Max's head, Alec grunted in objection. "Me. I'm Alec. Don't you dare touch him or I swear to god-"

"Or you swear to god....what? What will you do? I have armed men in this room and outside. Basically in this entire community. You have nowhere to go and if you try to escape, you will be shot. Possibly killed. Do you want to end up like these poor souls mounted on the wall here?"

Alec looked up at the severed heads and swallowed hard. "No. No, I don't."

Valentine smiled. "I didn't think so. Raphael, please lead our little group of misfits to their new jobs. Pangborn has them written up already. But leave the girls here. I have a special request for them."

Alec struggled and fight against the pair of hands that gripped his shoulders. "No! Isabelle! Clary!"

Jace yelled the loudest as they were pulled down the hallway, screaming obscenities at their captors and trying to fight his way back to Clary but it was no use. None of them had the strength to fight back. 

They were hauled to their feet and lead back outside again but this time they were separated in different directions. Max screamed and squirmed as Raphael tossed him over his shoulder like a rag doll and began to walk away. 

"Hey!" Alec yelled. "Where are you taking him?!"

"Relax," said Raphael. "He's working at the butcher's. He's got the easiest job in here."

Alec's throat closed as he watched his youngest sibling being taken away from him. He wanted to yell-he wanted to fight-but he couldn't risk anyone in his group getting hurt. 

Pangborn stopped them in front of a small shed that smelled of bread and other foods cooking. "This is the Slop Shop. It's where we cook out food. Stringbean over here is going to be working with the cooks."

Simon's eyes widened. "Me? I can't cook! I burnt toast everyday in the morning before I went to school! I probably burnt water when I tried to boil it!"

Pangborn shoved Simon into the small shed. "Shut up and get to work! Dinner is in a half an hour!"

Alec felt a pang of sympathy for Simon. He knew he had been hard on the kid in the past but that was nothing compared to what they were about to be put through.

"Man Bun here will be working with the armoury. You like weapons, tough guy?" Pangborn spat in Jace's face. "Maybe you can find yourself a pair of scissors and cut that ugly mop of hair off your head."

"Fuck you," Jace snarled, earning himself a shove towards a run down building. "I hope I get the chance to beat the shit out of you one day. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy it."

Pangborn snorted with laughter and continued dragging Magnus and Alec behind him. They were the only two left in the group that needed a job.

Alec looked back at Magnus. He was surprised to see the other man so calm and collected, seemingly unbothered by what was going on around them. Alec wanted to ask him why he was so calm when he was suddenly yanked forward by his chains, landing face first in the dirt. 

"You wanted to be a runner, I heard? They never last long here." Pangborn shoved Alec into a small building that looked similar to the kitchen. "You'll meet up with the other runners in the morning. For now, find someplace to sleep."

Alec scoffed. "I don't get a bed to sleep in? Or a roof over my head?"

Pangborn knelt down and stared Alec in the eye. "Around here, you have to earn what you want. You want a bed and a roof over your? Better get to work in the morning."

Magnus frowned as he felt a drop of rain fall to his face. "I want to be a runner too. I'm good at finding things that most people overlook."

"I'm sure you do but that ain't happening, Jawline. Come with me-" Pangborn paused as Magnus stood his ground. "Are you fucking deaf?! Get to walking!"

Magnus stuck his chin out defiantly. "No. I'm staying with him and will be a runner."

Pangborn glanced between him and Alec before smirking. Alec saw that his teeth were a disgusting yellow color. "Oh. I see. You guys are lovers."

"No," Alec said quickly, while Magnus said "Yes" at the same time. They looked at each other before saying the opposite of what they originally said. 

"You two are cute. I suddenly have a change of heart about taking Jawline with me." Pangborn shoved Magnus to the ground beside Alec. "You guys are gonna do great out there. Star crossed lovers. Soulmates."

He walked away cackling, leaving Alec alone with Magnus on the ground. His head throbbed where he bumped it against the brick fence surrounding the shed. 

"You're bleeding," Magnus pointed out. "We should probably get that cleaned up before you pass out from blood loss."

"I'm fine. How are you so calm right now? It's almost like you were here before-" An idea clicked in Alec's head as he focused his gaze on Magnus. "You were here before, weren't you? And don't lie to me. There's nothing worse than being lied to."

Magnus huffed as he freed himself and Alec from their cuffs. "Fine. I've been here before but that was to help out a friend of mine. He was captured and held in that basement cell we were in. I wasn't here long enough for anyone to get familiar with my face."

"Valentine said you looked familiar," Alec breathed. "You lied about being alone for five years. What else have you lied to me about?" It had begun to rain hard now and his clothes were drenched. A violent shiver had taken over him as he sat there and glared at Magnus. 

"He doesn't know who I am. Trust me." Magnus got to his feet. He struck out a free hand for Alec to take. "Come on. I know where we can stay for the night. It's warm and we can dry our clothes off there."

Hesitating at first, Alec eventually took Magnus' hand and got to his feet. "Will you start telling the truth? From the beginning?"

Magnus bowed his head. "Once we get there, I'll tell you everything you want to know. No more secrets and lies."

Alec nodded. "Good. Trust works both ways. I can't be open if you're not open with me."

"Sorry. But I promise to start telling the truth. I swear," Magnus said with a small smile. "Change o subject but did you hear the nickname Pangborn gave me? Jawline. Of all the nicknames he could've gave me."

"He didn't give me a nickname so count your blessings."

Magnus snorted. "True. I've always called you Pretty Boy. Have I ever said it out loud to you?"

They sucked behind a building as a group of guards walked by, armed with guns. "I don't think so," Alec whispered. "If you did, I don't remember. Why Pretty Boy?"

Magnus shot him an "Are you kidding me" look. "You can't be serious. Why else would I call you that?"

Alec flashed a crooked smile. "Oh. You think I'm pretty?"

"I wouldn't get too cocky, Alexander. A person's beauty is only worth as much as their personality." Magnus knocked on a door of a blue house. "Yours is priceless."

Alec flushed through the raindrops falling on his face, thankful that it was too dark for Magnus to see his embarrassment. "Who lives here?"

"A friend of mine. Catarina. She help me escape with-"

The door opened and a woman with light blue hair stood in the doorway. At the sight of Magnus standing there, her eyes widened and she pulled them both inside. 

"Are you insane? Do you have a death wish?" She shut the door behind them. "What the hell are you doing back here?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was on vacation?" Magnus feigned a smile and jazz hands. 

"This place isn't exactly tourism material, Bane. Now what are you doing back here? Did you get caught?" The woman (Catarina, Alec assumed) rolled her eyes. "You got caught. Of course. That's hardly surprising. Sit down, you idiots. I'm making tea. And toss your wet clothes to the floor over there. I'll dry them over the fireplace."

Alec stripped down to his underwear, feeling slightly exposed in front of two strangers. Magnus didn't seem to mind. To Alec, he looked completely comfortable standing there practically naked like it was second nature to him. 

"Did Valentine recognize you?" Catarina asked. "If he did, you're as good as dead. He'll toss you out to the Forsaken."

Magnus shook his head. "He said I looked familiar but couldn't place a name to me. I'm gonna lie if he asks. Tell him my name is Harry or something."

"Smooth," Catarina glanced at Alec. "And what's your name, handsome?"

Alec swallowed his mouthful of hot tea. "Alec. My family and I were all separated for our jobs tonight. Will I see them again?"

Catarina nodded. "In the morning you will. But you'll hardly get to talk to them. So if I were you, I'd devise a plan as soon as possible and get the hell out of here. You'll die if you don't."

Alec finished his tea before asking another question. "Magnus aid he was here before. Is that true?"

Magnus and Catarina looked at each other. "It's true," said Catarina. "He was here before to help a friend. Barely made it out alive if it wasn't for me."

"I owe her my life," Magnus smiled at Catarina. "She didn't have to help me but she did anyway. She could've came with us too but her stubborn ass is too stubborn."

Alec half smiled as Magnus and Catarina chuckled at old memories. "So start from the beginning. Right from when you first came here. I want to know everything. Including the name of your friend."

Magnus inhaled deeply as he placed his mug of tea on the table beside them. "Okay. I'll start from the beginning. But if I do, don't expect to be at full strength in the morning. My story is kind of long."

"Magnus," Alec said, "I've went on runs with only two hours of sleep in me before. I think I can handle it."

Magnus raised his hands in surrender. "Okay. Just making sure. Get comfortable, Pretty Boy. My journey to this godforsaken place all started when I made a wrong turn on the road...."


	14. The Grand Plan

Though Alec was used to sleeping in small places, never had he ever have to sleep in one as a hostage. He had almost forgotten that he and Magnus were sleeping inside a complete stranger's house when he woke up to see a woman pouring tea into a cup. It was Catarina. She looked up him, putting a finger to her lips. 

"What time is it?" Alec whispered to her. 

"Just a little after 5. The scavengers usually gather near the gates at 6 when they've finished breakfast. Are you one of them?"

"Yeah. What are they like? The others, I mean. The other runners."

Catarina quickly glanced out the window. "Ruthless. They'll kill any group on the road that won't willingly give them their supplies. I've seen them gun down children without batting an eyelash."

Alec shuddered at the thought of having to shoot a human child. "I'm not like that. My group don't take from other groups. We find what we can in abandoned houses and stores."

Catarina leaned in and placed a gentle hand on his leg. "Then you're one of the good ones."

Magnus woke up then, stretching and cracking his neck. "Boy. That wasn't the best sleep I've ever had. Didn't make my top ten list that's for sure."

"Next time book the Plaza Hotel if you're going to complain about sleeping space. We work with what we have here," Catarina handed them both a cup of tea. "Drink this. It'll keep you warm at least for a little while. Go get breakfast before the crowd comes and then line up with the other scavengers. You'll receive further instructions from there."

Both Alec and Magnus drank their tea and thanked her for her help, quietly slipping out of the house without anyone noticing them. The aroma of breakfast wafted in the air around them. Alec drooled. He could smell bacon and fresh bread and quite possibly oatmeal being made in the kitchen. As they approached, they could both see Simon on the back, stirring a large pot of oatmeal around on a stove. He looked sweaty and tired but above anything else, he looked terrified.

"Simon!" Alec called out over the noise. "Are you okay?" Someone shoved Alec from behind, causing him to stumble forward a few feet. When he turned to see who had shoved him, Raphael looked up at him with a smug look on his face. 

"How'd you sleep, new guy? The dogs didn't get after you?" He smirked, piling his plate up with food. 

"Please tell me you're not one of the scavengers...." Alec grumbled. Magnus didn't say anything as Alec shot him a glance. 

"That I am. Leader, actually. Have been for a while." Raphael chuckled as Alec stared coldly at him. "You look a bit disappointed. Or upset. Does my leadership offend you?"

Alec stood his ground. He wasn't about to let some child killer get the best of him so he stood up taller, squaring his shoulders. "It takes a lot more than that to offend me. Aim higher. If you can."

Magnus stifled a laugh by covering it with a cough, as did a few of the men around them. Raphael glared at them all until they were silenced. "Get your breakfast and get the fuck in line. Savour it while you can. It might be your last."

Food was slapped down onto Alec's tray by the people working behind the counter. They smirked as both he and Magnus walked out of the lineup, blowing a kiss and waving mockingly. Simon gave them an apologetic smile but said nothing as they sat down at a table to eat. 

"I hope you've got an escape plan in the works," whispered Alec, "because I refuse to stay here any longer than I have to."

Magnus shoved a piece of toast into his mouth. "Of course I have a plan in the works. It's just going to take time to work out all the kinks."

"We might not have time," Alec lowered his voice as a woman walked by. "We need to find my sister and brothers before something happens to them. Clary too. Jace likes her."

"Can't imagine why," was Magnus' reply. He had already eaten everything on his tray and was taking his time drinking his orange juice. "This place hasn't changed much since I was last here. They finished building the eastern wall but that's about it."

A loud laugh made both men jump in fright. The laughter had come from the kitchen where Simon lay on the ground in front of a pile of dirty plastic trays, face covered in food. 

"Poor guy," Magnus shook his head. "Don't worry. We'll find your siblings and the carrot and be out of here soon enough."

Alec smirked at Clary's nickname. "I'll go anywhere. Anyplace better than here."

After they finished eating, they followed the group of men heading towards the main gate. Raphael stood on the back of the truck doing roll call and handing out weapons to the men whose names were called out. Alec didn't notice any women in the group, which seemed kind of sexist to him. Women were just as capable of holding their ground as men were. 

"New guys! I forget your names so I'm calling you Thing One and Thing Two. Come get your weapons," Raphael ordered. "Don't be shy! Come up here and get your gun!"

Magnus parted the crowd with his hands and approached the truck. "Nice stash you have here. Got any rifles? I'm a deadshot."

"I'm sure you are," Raphael snorted. He handed Magnus a small handgun. "You'll take what we give you. You earn better weapons the more you contribute to the community."

It was Magnus who snorted this time. "Great. Can't wait to play my part so I don't have to sleep outside in the fucking cold again."

Alec said nothing. Besides Catarina, he was the only other person who knew that they didn't sleep in the cold overnight. Magnus was an incredible liar. 

"As for you, Sasquatch. You get this lovely crowbar handcrafted by our lovely blacksmiths here. Doesn't need any reloading but it sucks at long range."

Alec took the crowbar that Raphael handed him. It was lightweight and small, but looked decent enough to do some damage. "I'm actually really good with a bow. Or a crossbow, if you have one."

Raphael laughed. "Yeah? I'm good with a lot of things too. Like handing out weapons to new guys who don't understand the concept of 'take what we give you'." He shoved Alec back into the crowd with a foot. "All right, men. We move out as soon as soon as the boss gives us the signal. You know the drill. Grab the usual and kill anyone who resists."

Alec had no idea what the signal was exactly as he climbed into one of the large Hummers but the gates soon opened and the group were rolling out onto the road. The loud thud of Forsaken hitting the vehicle made the men in their vehicle laugh, but Alec sat with unease beside Magnus in the backseat, who occasionally gave Alec a reassuring pat on the knee when no one was looking.

"Brooklyn is full of shit that nobody even thought to take with them. Clothes, food, weapons. The Forsaken happened so fast that nobody had a chance to prepare themselves," said one of the men in the Hummer. 

"I never had a chance to go home and grab my kid," said another. "By the time I got there, my little girl was already dead. She was only three."

The ride was starting to get a little uncomfortable. Thankfully it wasn't as long as Alec thought it would be. The Hummer soon came to a complete stop and the group piled out of their vehicles one by one. 

"Grab whatever you can find and bring it back to the trucks. Anything valuable-good, water, the essentials-are top priority. Liquor is optional," Raphael loaded his gun with a click. "Move out.

The group spread out in different directions. Alec wasn't sure where to go until Magnus tugged on his sleeve and nodded his head towards an old convenience store off to their left. Alec nodded and followed behind him. 

"Raphael's men are ruthless. I've seen them play with their prey like cats before killing them. You don't want to get on their bad side," Magnus whispered once they were inside the store. 

"No kidding," Alec hissed. "Everyone in that town seem that way. Not just the scavengers."

Magnus shrugged. "The townspeople actually aren't that bad. I've met a few of them before and they're nice people. It's just that they're scared."

Alec knew a thing or two about being scared. He had experienced the most fear when he was 18 and he watched his parents get gunned down in front of him and his siblings. Then he thought they were going to die if he didn't find food and shelter for them. He knew all about being scared. 

"Look. I understand that this isn't an ideal situation. But we're going to get everyone out. Safely." Magnus' tone was reassuring as he sorted through a box on the floor. It was filled with empty cans. "And I highly recommend you find something to bring back to the trucks. They don't tolerate anyone who comes back empty handed."

"They don't tolerate much, huh?" Alec snorted. "What if we can't find anything? That's not our fault."

Magnus smirked at this. "I've been on my own for quite some time. I know a few tricks. Here." He leaned over and picked up a box from the shelf. "What's this?"

Alec stared at the box. "It's a box of tampons. Do they tolerate men who bring back feminine hygiene products?"

Magnus shook his head. "You're not paying attention, Alexander. What do you notice about the box?"

This was starting to get on Alec's nerves but he went along with it anyway. "I don't know. It's blue? It's a popular brand name?"

"It's open."

Alec watched as Magnus popped open the box and dumped out its contents. Granola bars and assorted packets of peanuts fell to the floor at their feet, all unopened and intact. 

"Well I'll damned. How did you know that would be in there?" Alec said, amazed, as he picked up their findings in his hands. 

"It's a trick I picked up on back in the day when all this first started. I saw people hiding food in boxes like these when their bags were full. Then they'd come back later to pick up what they left behind. Clever, really. Handy too." Magnus handed Alec another box of tampons. "Not all of them are filled with goodies we need. Sometimes they're filled with what's advertised."

Laughing, Alec tore open the box and shook his head at the sight of tampons. "I can't believe I haven't thought of this before. This would've saved my family and I a lot of trouble."

Magnus had moved to the back of the store. There was a box of cans and cereal laying on a shelf and he had begun to root through it in hopes of finding something good. "Now you know for next time. Does Max like trail mix?"

A noise from behind the closed door if the convenience store had both men raise their weapons. It sounded like the low groan of a Forsaken. It must've been locked in the room when it turned. Seeing how it was trapped, both men didn't bother opening the door and risking more noise. 

"How often do you think these guys come across other groups?" Alec whispered. 

Magnus shrugged. "No idea. I wouldn't want to be here when they do. From what I've heard, they sound relentless and heartless. They'll even kill children if they have to. From their own group."

Alec shook his head. Though he didn't agree with the way these men went about things, killing children was something he'd never stoop so low to even attempt. He couldn't even imagine having to shoot a child. Every time he thought about it, the child in his mind was Max and it made him sick to his stomach. 

"You okay? You look a little green." Magnus appeared by his side holding a box of cereal. "You're thinking about the group aren't you?"

"Which one?"

"Ours."

Alec sighed. The sounds of the Forsaken could still be heard from the other side of the locked door. "Yeah. We need to get out of here, Magnus. This place isn't good for Max. Especially if they kill children like you said they do."

They went quiet when one of Valentine's men entered the store. He glared at them for a moment before sliding in between one of the aisles and having a look around. 

"There's not much in here. Place has been cleaned out ages ago," Alec said. "We should move on and catch up with the rest of the group."

The man didn't say anything. He continued to sort through the boxes and wrappers on the floor without a word, only looking up when he heard the Forsaken make a sound on the other side of the door. 

"Why didn't you kill it?" The man asked. He raised his gun and slowly made his way to the locked door. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Magnus said in a low voice. 

"And why the hell not?"

Magnus shrugged. "I don't know. Do you really want to risk that much noise for one Forsaken? Maybe even waste the bullets? Doesn't seem worth the effort if you ask me."

The man finally lowered his gun and grunted. "If there's goods back there and we don't get them, that's on your heads. Not mine. Don't say I didn't warn you."

He stormed out just as a truck drove past and both Alec and Magnus watched as he expertly jumped into the backseat as the vehicle moved. 

"You really think there's something good back there?" Alec hit the door with his crowbar. The Forsaken snarled again, louder than before. "I mean....the only way to find out is to go in there and see for ourselves."

Magnus put a finger to his lips as he leaned his ear against the door. "There's two, many three zombies tops in there. Shouldn't be too hard to take out. I'll open on three?"

"Why do you get to open on three? Why can't I open on three?"

Magnus sighed. "Do you really want to have this conversation, Alexander? Look at your weapon. Non-reloadable. Less noise. Less attraction. Use your head. You're supposed to be the expert here...."

Alec flushed in embarrassment. He stood in front of the door and took a deep breath. "Okay. Whenever you're ready."

Magnus nodded. "One....two...."

The door flew open and three Forsaken rushed out, jaws clacking and arms outstretched. The first one Alec killed with ease, but the second one was too close behind the first for him to retrieve his weapon from the first Forsaken's skull. 

Two muffled gunshots later, the other Forsaken were on the ground Magnus removed a silencer from his rifle and put it back in his bag as Alec got to his feet. "You okay? They were really bunched together, weren't they?"

"What happened to on three? Three comes after two!" Alec breathed. "And where the hell did you get a silencer?!"

"Sorry. You were taking too long. No offence. As for the silencer, I swiped it just as we were getting to leave town. Pretty sneaky, huh?" Magnus peered into the room. "All clear in here."

They stepped inside and clicked on their flashlights. Inside were shelves that housed all kinds of medicine. It all looked pretty much untouched from what they could tell. Not exactly Jace's "jackpot" but it was still a pretty sweet find in Alec's mind. 

"This could potentially be our ticket to a warm bed tonight, Alec," Magnus breathed. 

"I think you're absolutely right, Magnus." Alec turned to look at Magnus and they laughed before stuffing as much medicine into their bags as they could before heading outside to find the rest of the group.

"Thing One!" Raphael's voice boomed. Alec and Magnus looked at each other, unsure of which of them were Thing One. "What's in your bag? Find something good?"

Magnus had half a mind to say no but the idea of sleeping in a bed really appealed to him so he opened his bag. "Medicine. A lot of it too. Does this please you, oh great one?"

Raphael shot him a look. "This is quite the find. Boss will be very pleased. Now get in the jeep. We're finished for the day. Josiah got bit so we're going to make a public spectacle of his execution."

Alec's eyes widened. "You're going to kill him in front of the town? Why not just do it outside the walls? Less risk that way in case something goes wrong."

"Where's the fun in that?" Raphael laughed as he clapped Alec on the shoulder. "Gear up, gentleman! Today was just a quick raid. Let's head back and hand in the findings."

Magnus climbed up into the hummer and reached out a hand to help Alec get in when Raphael blocked the way. "Hey. What's your deal?"

"Those who find something really good have to walk back to town. Sorry. It's the rules," sneered Raphael. 

"It was never the rules before," Magnus retorted, but the look on his face told Alec that he regretted opening his mouth. 

Raphael noticed this. "And how would you know what the rules were before?" Magnus said nothing and Raphael rolled his eyes as he turned back to face Alec. "Anyway, you're walking back to town. Deal with it. See you when you get back!"

Alec watched as Raphael got into the jeep with Magnus and drove away. He could see Magnus' solemn face through the back window, apologetic and worried. Gripping his crowbar, Alec squared his shoulders and began to make the walk back to town. He hopes nothing went wrong with his family while he was away. 

Otherwise someone would have to answer to him.


	15. Escape

"Where's Alec?" Max asked. "Is Magnus with him?"

Jace looked over his shoulder at the men and women surrounding them. He had to make a run to the butcher's to drop off some knives and this gave him an opportunity to see his little brother. "I don't, little guy. He's probably still out on a run. He'll be fine. He's a pro, remember?"

Max didn't look too convinced but he said nothing else as he tried to skin part of a deer. "I don't know what I'm doing, Jace. I've never skinned a deer before."

One of the butchers yelled from the back of the small shed. Max flinched but kept on doing what he was doing (or at least trying to do). Jace glanced over his shoulders to see if anyone was looking and skillfully started skinning the deer.

"You're lucky our dad took your older siblings on hunting trips back in the day," Jace whispered. "Otherwise you'd be here all day trying to get the skin off."

Max giggled as Jace winked at him. "This job really sucks. I wanna go on scavenges like Alec and Magnus. I'd be really good at it. I know I would."

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?" Jace quickly threw the skin off to the side and moved on to another part of the deer.

"I'm small. I can fit into tight places that grown ups can't fit. Plus I'm fast and really quiet. Like a ninja."

Jace chuckled as Max struck a ninja pose. "I don't doubt that for a second. Maybe one day you'll go on a run with us-"

"Hey! This ain't a part of your job description!" The head butcher spat at Jace from across the room. He stomped over to where Jace stood and hauled Max backwards. "Go on! Get back to your job!"

"My brother doesn't know how to do any of this. I was just helping him," Jace growled through a clenched jaw.

"This kid's your brother?" The butcher laughed. "He's useless. He can't do a damn thing I ask of him-"

"Because he's just a kid!" Jace yelled and threw the knife he was holding in his hand at the butcher. It missed his head by a hair and embedded itself in the wall at the back of the shed.

The head butcher looked impressed and angry at the same time. "You've got a good arm, young man. If the armory doesn't work out for you, you're always welcome here. Better you than the little worm over here."

Max said nothing as the head butcher left them alone. "I hate his place, Jace. I wanna go home. Or find a home and stay there."

Jace jumped over the wooden table and hugged his little brother. "I know, kiddo. Alec will get us out of this mess. I'm sure he's got a plan of some sort-"

The front gates opened and the vehicles that went with the runners earlier that morning came revving in. The townspeople had started to gather around them as they piled out of the vehicles one by one. Jace and Max gathered around as well to see if Magnus and Alec were there.

"You know where this stuff goes, people. Bring it there and don't even think about stealing," warned Raphael. He began to hand out their findings that day to the people gathered around.

"Do you see Alec?" Max asked.

Jace scanned the vehicles for any sign of their brother. "No. I see Magnus though. Let's go ask him if he's seen Alec."

They approached Magnus just as he was returning his weapon. His face looked solemn as if something happened while they were out there.

"Oh god," croaked Jace. "Don't tell me....Alec?"

Magnus shook his head. "He's fine, Jace. Raphael made him walk back to town. He could be a while-"

"Walk back? Is he insane? Does he at least have a weapon?!"

Magnus put a hand on Jace's mouth to silence him and dragged him into an alleyway where they were concealed from the rest of the town. "Keep your voice down. Yes, he does have a weapon. A crowbar. Not exactly the best weapon but at least he's armed."

Max stomped a foot on the ground. He was clearly angry at Raphael for what he did to his brother. "This isn't fair! This is so....this is so fucking unfair!"

Jace and Magnus both looked down at Max in surprise. Magnus spoke first. "It is unfair, Max. Alec was the one who found all that medicine we brought back today. And this is the thanks he gets?"

Jace scoffed. "I'm not sticking around here any longer than I have to, Magnus. I have a plan." He pointed across the road towards a wall. "I watched that fence last night. At 11:50 the guards take a fifteen minute break. No one's guarding the wall during that period of time."

"That's a short window of opportunity," Magnus breathed. "We'll have to get everyone together at least an hour before. I know where the girls are so getting them won't be a problem."

Jace cocked his head. "How do you know where they are?"

Magnus bit his lip. "Two beautiful women like them? Where do you think they went, Jace?"

Jace looked confused for a moment but when the realization hit him, it hit him hard. "You've got to be kidding me. They can't be....you know. With him?"

Max tugged on Jace's sleeve. "Where's Izzy, Jace? And Clary?"

Without answering Max, Jace shook his head. "Do what you have to do and get them out. We'll meet here at 11:00 tonight. Make sure everyone's here before we escape."

"Jace! Where's our sister?!" Max repeated only this time his voice was more pleading.

Hesitantly, Jace knelt down to Max's height and rubbed his brother's shoulder. "Izzy's with Valentine. Same with Clary. Magnus is going to get them out before something happens to them, okay? Right Magnus?"

Magnus nodded. "Don't worry, kid. I'll make sure they're safe."

Max nodded. "We can't leave without Alec, though. He'll be back before tonight?"

Magnus looked up at the gate, which had just opened again, and smiled broadly. "I think he'll be back much sooner than you think."

Max turned to see what he was smiling at and a smile of his own broke out on his face. "Alec! Alec!"

Alec, covered in Forsaken blood, turned to see who was calling his name. He dropped to his knees immediately and opened his arms to let Max run towards him and hug him. "Max. You're okay. You're okay...."

Max held Alec tight. "I'm okay. Jace helped me skin a deer earlier. You smell really bad."

Alec laughed. "Forsaken blood. Thought I'd try coming back Walking Dead style. It actually worked too. Now you're covered in it."

The brothers laughed as Raphael stormed over to where they stood enveloped in a hug.

"How the fuck did you get back here so fast?!" He spat. A vein pulsed in his neck as he yelled.

Alec stood up. "The same way we got there in the first place except I walked. Covered myself in guts as you can see," he addressed his grimy clothes with a smile. "The Forsaken didn't even notice I was walking with them. That's how I got back so fast. I didn't have to deal with any of them."

Raphael looked so red in the face with anger that Alec thought his head was going to explode. "Get back outside the fence, new guy. You're to stay out there until I say you're allowed back in."

Max stepped in between them. "Leave my brother alone!"

Raphael shoved Max to the ground and Alec reacted with a yell. Soon a crowd gathered around and everyone was yelling "brawl!" as Alec punched Raphael in the face and the two began to fight. Magnus tried to haul Alec away from the fight but got punched in the face himself. He then joined the fight too-

A gunshot echoed across the town. The crowd immediately dispersed with a scream. Valentine stood at beside the butcher shop, gun raised in the air with smoke coming from the barrel.

"People! What's going on out here?" He demanded. "You know the penalty of fighting, right?"

Alec blinked through blurry eyes. He could see two figures standing on either side of Valentine but couldn't quite pick them out.

"Izzy? Clary? Are you two okay?" Jace asked, his voice barely audible.

Eyes finally cleared, Alec could now see his sister and Clary standing with Valentine. They looked extremely uncomfortable and he didn't blame them. They wore skintight dresses that barely covered them mid-thigh and covered their chest. The heels they wore had a 7 inch heel and it made it difficult for them to follow behind Valentine.

"Don't talk to my girls please and thank you. They're not supposed to talk," Valentine purred and ran a finger down Isabelle's arm. Alec clenched his jaw and made a fist but restrained himself from jumping Valentine.

"Boss," Raphael spoke. He had blood running down his left eyebrow where Alec kicked him in the face. "The new guy. I told him he had to walk back to town and he came back right behind us covered in....this."

Valentine inspected Alec. "You covered yourself in Forsaken blood?"

Alec stared straight ahead and nodded. "Yes, sir. I did."

"And they didn't bother you once?"

Alec shook his head.

Valentine chuckled and pat Alec on the back. "Clever boy. You're a lot smarter than I gave you credit for. Raphael! Bring our young man here a clean set of clothes and offer him a hot shower. He deserves it."

Raphael made a squeaky sound. "But Boss-"

"Did you not hear what I just said? Don't make me repeat myself. I'm having a good day so far and I'd hate for someone like you to go and ruin it for me," Valentine said in a calm voice that gave Alec chills.

Raphael caved and nodded. "Yes, sir. Fresh set of clothes and a hot shower for the new guy."

As he walked away, Alec took a moment to glance at Isabelle and Clary. Normally Isabelle would've enjoyed being able to wear dresses like this. Now the look on her face screamed that she was scared and uncomfortable; it was obvious that Clary felt the same way. They couldn't even look at Valentine without quickly looking at the ground.

"I hope you'll enjoy the special treatment today, Alec. I'm promoting you to my right hand man. Sorry other new guy," Valentine apologized to Magnus.

"No worries. I'm good with where I am now," Magnus gave him a thumbs up while ducking his head to avoid having Valentine look directly at him.

Valentine put his gun into his belt before turning to look at Alec. "I hope I'll see you at dinner tonight in my home. We'll discuss your promotion more then."

Alec stared coldly as Valentine turned and signalled the girls to follow him. He wanted to reach out to Isabelle and hold her hand to reassure her that everything was going to be okay but Isabelle just shook her head curtly and followed behind Valentine.

Max tugged on Alec's sleeve. "Are we going to escape tonight?" He whispered.

Alec clenched his jaw as he continued to watch Valentine walk away. "We leave tonight. The entire group."

\----------

Night fell and the community had their lamps lit for the night. Magnus watched as the guards took their position at the eastern wall from his new room before slipping out of bed and out onto the now quiet streets. To avoid the lamps, he took the back roads in order to get where the armoury workers slept.

Jace was already outside hidden away when Magnus arrived. He put a finger to his lips. "Do you know where Max is sleeping?"

"It's not far from here. Is Alec inside with Valentine?" Magnus ducked behind a trash bin as a pair guards walked by. They were armed to the teeth with weapons.

"I think so. They're discussing his promotion or something. What about Izzy and Clary? They're in there too?"

Magnus nodded and zipped his lips, signalling Jace to keep quiet from here on out. Jace nodded.

The butcher's was only lit with one lamp out front. The back was dark enough for Magnus to slip inside and grab Max without being seen or heard. Jace kept watch outside as his brother was being rescued, keeping an eye on the building where Alec was being held. He wondered what Alec had planned in order to get the girls and escape....

"Jace!" Max whispered. He hugged his older brother tightly. "Alec's going to be here soon, right? Izzy and Clary too?"

"Yes. Now shush. The place is crawling with guards. The last thing we need is your loud voice getting us all caught." Jace shoved Max in front of him as Magnus peered around the butcher's building. "Anything?"

"Two guards at the escape point. Armed. Three more guards on the western wall. Also armed. Good thing I swiped some knives while I was in there."

He handed a knife to Jace and Max. Jace stared down at it in obvious disgust. "We were literally at the armoury five minutes ago. We couldn't get a more effective weapon then? This is literally bringing a knife to a gunfight."

Magnus glared at him, though it was too dark for Jace to fully see him. "Look. Do you want to make noise and wake up the entire town? Knives are quieter. Stealthier. So don't question me."

The three of them moved quickly over to Valentine's building and leaned against the brick wall. One of the windows were open so Jace hoisted Max on his shoulders so that he could take a look inside.

"What do you see?" He asked his little brother.

"Hold still. You're moving around-it's Alec! I see Alec!"

"What's he doing?" Magnus hissed. He wanted to see what was going on too.

"He's eating. Valentine is talking to him but I can't hear what they're saying. He doesn't look too interested though."

Jace grunted as he shook out his sore arm. "Who's not interested? Alec?"

"Yeah. He looks mad. He pointing at Izzy and Clary-"

"The girls are there too?!" Jace said a bit too loudly. Magnus slapped a hand over his mouth to quiet him down.

"He's yelling now. Valentine just took out a knife-Alec threw a silver jug at him! He's covering his eyes in pain! He just grabbed the girls!"

They heard the front door burst open. Yelling came from inside the house and Alec raced past them with the girls close behind. Magnus let go of Jace and caught Max as the boy jumped from his brother's shoulders and they weren't long following close behind the rest of the group. Simon had somehow appeared next to Clary, bickering about something along the lines of being forgotten but no one was listening. Their main focus was to get out unnoticed.

Alec led the group to a dark alley and waited for a pair of guards to pass. He turned to his group, speaking as low as possible. "What time is it?"

Jace checked his watch. "11:15. No point in waiting for their break now. They know you escaped with the girls. No one's at the wall now. See?"

Everyone looked in the direction Jace was pointing in. He was right. Where the two guards used to be, there was now no one there. Getting there looked easy enough but the entire town was now on high alert for them. Magnus swore he could hear Alec's heart hammering in his chest as they sat in silence.

"When I say go, you make a run for the wall, okay? I can see an opening from here." Alec took Max and gripped his little brother's shoulders tight. "You run as fast as you can and don't look back, okay? Stay with Jace and Izzy."

Max sniffed back tears. "What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you to make sure you all get out okay. Trust me," he kissed Max on the forehead quickly before ushering them forward. "Go. It's clear."

The group ran on ahead but gunshots echoed across the town. Panicked, Alec scanned the area to see where it came from. He saw the shooter from the balcony of a building, using a sniper rifle to take them out.

"Max!" Isabelle cried out. Alec whipped his head around to see that Max had tripped and fell to the ground just as the sniper was gearing up to take another shot.

Alec had never moved so fast in his life as he ran towards his baby brother. He reached him just in time as he held Max to his chest to cover him when another shot rang out. Everything suddenly became a world of pain as Alec stumbled backwards, Max still held tight to his chest.

It was Magnus and Jace who pulled him to his feet and carried him past the hole in the wall. They could hear angered cries and Valentine swearing at his men to go after them just as a part of the northern wall exploded. The group stared at it in surprise as flames rose high above the walls and the buildings.

"Was that any of you?" Isabelle asked.

"Wasn't me," denied Jace. "Magnus?"

"Wasn't me but I know exactly who it was. It was Catarina. She always did have a thing for explosives. This must've been her way of helping us escape."

Alec let out a low moan of pain. Jace and Magnus set him down beside a trash bin and he gasped. "My-my shoulder. I got hit."

Clary, who was also a nurse back when Alicante was still standing, gently pulled down the collar of Alec's shirt to get a better look at his wound. "Your shoulder's been hit. Lean forward so I can see if there's an exit wound."

Alec leaned forward, crying out at the moment. "So? Is there one?"

"No," Clary said. "The bullet is still lodged under your skin. We have to get it out and stop the bleeding before you get an infection."

"You want to do this right now? Right when Valentine's men are searching for us?" Simon squeaked.

"Let's get him someplace safe. Then we'll scrounge around for what we need. I know a place where we can stay. No one will know we're there," Magnus said as he lift Alec to his feet, earning a yell of pain into his ear.

Isabelle stood behind her wounded brother in case he fell backwards. "How do you know about all these places anyway?"

Magnus shrugged. "I've been out here a long time. You see things. You learn things."

"That sounds eerily vague but okay," Jace grumbled as they walked. When Alec groaned in pain he looked back, his face filled with worry. "Seriously Alec. Had to play the hero again, didn't you?"

Alec weakly gave him the finger. "Next time I'll let Max get shot then. How does that sound?"

They began to argue when Max yelled at them to stop. "Guys! Come on! We can argue later. Right now we need to get Alec to a safe place and get the bullet out. That's our main priority."

Everyone looked at the 9 year old and sighed, realizing how stupid they were acting.

"Kid is starting to sound like you," Jace said teasingly to Alec.

"Good. One of Lightwoods got to have their heads screwed on tight," Alec chuckled, wincing as the laughter brought a wave of pain through his body. "Shouldn't laugh. It hurts too much."

"Don't worry. We're almost there. It's a bit closer to the town than I'd like it to be but no one will know about us. Trust me."

Alec looked at Magnus through pain blurred eyes. "I don't know why I trust you. But I do. Why are you even helping us? You could've escaped on your own without us."

Magnus stared straight ahead as he spoke. "Trust makes you do strange things."

Alec said nothing more.


	16. Bullet For Your Thoughts

Magnus' secret hideout was just an ordinary old apartment building that was long abandoned since the beginning of the apocalypse. They entered one of the rooms on the first floor and set Alec down on a mattress, piling up pillows behind his back so that he was sitting up somewhat. 

"And you're sure we're safe here?" Jace asked as he was looking around for blankets for his brother. 

"I wouldn't bring us here if we wouldn't be," Magnus retorted. "And blankets are in the closet in the hall. Third door to your right."

Jace returned a moment later with blankets in his arms. "How did you know they'd be there?"

Magnus hesitated. "Because this used to be my apartment."

Everyone froze in place. It was a rather unexpected surprise. Because Magnus said he'd been alone for so long, nobody thought about what his life was like before the world ended or where he was or what he was doing. 

"You lived here?" Max finally asked. 

"I did. We're in my room right now actually. Your brother's in my bed." Magnus smiled at the young boy. "Come on. Go out into the dining room for a while. I've got some playing cards out there. You and Jace can have a game of Go Fish or something while Clary and I help Alec out."

There was an old first aid kit that Magnus had hidden away under his bathroom sink under a loose board. Once Clary grabbed it and returned to the bedroom, Alec's fever had spiked and he was shivering under his blankets. 

"His fever went up. We need to break it. Does this place still have running water?" Clary asked. 

"Only one way to find out," Magnus went to the sink in the bathroom, a small room adjoining to his bedroom, and turned on the sink. A burst of water shot out and he plunged a facecloth under it long enough to make it damp. He returned it to Alec and placed it on the oldest Lightwood's forehead. Alec moaned in protest, trying to move Magnus' hand away. 

"I know, Alec. But we have to break the fever or otherwise you're going to get sick. What's inside the kit that we need?"

Clary opened up the kit and rummaged through it. "Bandages. Adhesive tape. We need more than this to get the bullet out, Magnus. Needle and thread for stitching. Something to get the bullet out. Like tweezers or pliers-"

"I know just where to find all that. Wait here," Magnus huffed. He left the apartment altogether and didn't return until fifteen minutes later with a plastic bag in his hand. "Told you I'd find what we needed. Lady next door was old and loved to knit and sew. Who knew having a crazy old cat lady for a neighbor would have its benefits?"

Clary watched as he took out needle and thread, a pair of pliers and a bottle of alcohol. "Okay. So the thread and needle I understand. The pliers I get too. But what's with the booze?"

Magnus popped the bottle open and took a sniff. "To clean the wound, of course. I didn't have any rubbing alcohol so this was the next best thing."

Alec moaned as Magnus used a pair of scissors to cut his shirt open. "What are you doing?" 

"Getting that slug out of you. You'll die if we don't. Now hush. We need to concentrate." Magnus picked up the bottle of alcohol and grimaced. "This is going to hurt a bit okay?"

Before Alec could protest, Magnus poured a tablespoon of the alcohol onto his wound. He let out an agonized scream and his body arched off the mound of pillows. 

"You're doing great, Alec. That was just to clean the wound and allow us to get better access to the bullet," Clary pat his leg in reassurance. "Not much longer now, okay?"

Alec swallowed thickly as his breathing quickened. He watched as Magnus held a match under the pliers, his eyes widening in shock. "What the hell is he doing?!"

"Well I don't have a blowtorch so I have to sterilize this somehow. It won't be as effective but it'll do its job just fine. Now relax. You're stressing me out."

"I'm stressing you out?! You're stressing me out!" Alec yelled as his shoulder throbbed in pain. The pliers now hovering over his skin, his breath quickened as he braced himself for the pain. "Okay. Okay. Just make it quick."

Magnus sighed. "I'll go as fast as I can but you can't exactly rush these kinds of things." He looked Alec in the eye before nodding. "Brace yourself. This isn't going to tickle...."

The pliers touched Alec's skin and he screamed. It felt as if his skin were peeling away, the pain only making his head spin. He could feel the pliers worm its way into his shoulder as Magnus searched for the bullet. To keep from crying out again, Alec bit down on the inside of his cheek, and his mouth soon filled with copper taste of his own blood the harder he bit down. 

"He's going to tear his cheek open-tear a strip off his shirt and put it in his mouth," Magnus said to Clary. 

"But it's dirty...." Clary tore off a strip anyway and grimaced at the state of it. 

"I know but it's the best we've got. Alec? Put this in your mouth and bite down on it. It's better than trying to bite through your own face."

Alec groaned and opened his mouth. Clary put the material inside and he clamped down on it just in time as another wave of pain went through his shoulder. He yelled, the sound muffled by the bit of shirt in his mouth. 

"I think I got it. Clarissa, you can leave that bowl here. I think I got it from here on out." Magnus gave Clary a small smile as she got to her feet and left them alone together in the bedroom. "I'm going to put the bullet inside the bowl once it's out. Then we'll toss it. It's no good to anyone now."

As gently as he could, Magnus slowly pulled the bullet out from Alec's shoulder. Alec gasped in pain; it was a long bullet, probably a .45, and had a sharp pointed tip. It made a clang noise as Magnus dropped it down into the bowl. 

"You got lucky, Alexander. If you were shot any higher and it would've shattered your collarbone. This process would've been much more difficult." Magnus wiped his hands off in a towel. "Now I have to sterilize the needle and stitch you back up. What color thread do you want?"

Alec rolled his eyes, the piece of shirt still in his mouth. With his good arm he pointed to the green thread. 

"Green? Interesting choice. I pegged you for blue lover." Magnus lit another match and held the needle over it. When Alec moaned pitifully, he shook his head. "Don't worry. This only takes a few minutes. You won't even feel it. Have a drink of alcohol. Should still taste good."

Doing as he was told, Alec lift the bottle of booze and sniffed it before taking out the piece of shirt from his mouth and gulping down a long swig. It burned his throat as he swallowed it. "Ah. Tastes a bit old but it's not too bad."

Magnus took a gulp too as Alec handed it to him. "Too bad I didn't have any wine around. Could use a bit of class. Plus it's rude to have guests and not offer something better than brown tap water and out of date vodka."

Alec laughed, wincing through the pain in his shoulder. "I'm bleeding on your bed, Magnus. If anyone's being rude it's me."

Magnus glanced up at Alec as he continued to sterilize the needle. "I've never had a man in my bed before."

Alec swallowed nervously. "Never?"

"Nope. Kept to myself back in the day. Studied for exams. Worked out-I can see my old textbooks there in the closet. Never really had time to date."

Alec shifted on the bed so that Magnus had room to see him up. "How old are you? You said you were training to be an FBI agent."

Magnus chuckled. "I'm 26. I was 20 when I entered the academy. A year into the program and then all this shit happened. You?"

"I'm 23. Wait....what's the date today?" 

Magnus checked his digital watch. "September 14. Why?"

Chuckling, Alec looked up at the ceiling. "It was my birthday two days ago. I'm 24."

Magnus cut a strand of thread off its roll. "Happy belated birthday, Alexander. What do you think you would've been doing if none of this was happening?"

Alec shrugged his good shoulder. "I don't know. My parents would probably take me out to dinner with the family. I'd go out for drinks with my friends. I don't actually think about my birthdays anymore."

Magnus nodded. "What about Max? Do you still think about his?"

"Of course I do. I've tried to make his life seem as normal as possible for the past five years. We celebrated every birthday so far and haven't missed one yet." Alec sighed heavily. "I just hope we don't miss his tenth birthday. The big double digits as our dad used to say."

Magnus smiled softly and got to his feet. "All done. See? That wasn't so bad. We talked through the pain together."

Surprised, Alec looked down at his shoulder. His wound was now closed up with the green thread he chose for the stitching. It looked professionally done. "Thank you.....for everything. Helping us get out. Bringing us here. Patching me up."

"Oh don't sweat it. You would've done the same for me," Magnus opened the door and called Clary back into the room to wrap up Alec's shoulder. "Clary will wrap you up and make sure the adhesive sticks. Once she's done, you need to rest. That's the main thing now."

Clary wrapped his shoulder using the gauze they'd found in the first aid kit. When she finished, she made sure he was sitting upright somewhat so there wasn't as much pressure on his shoulder and then left the room. Alec closed his eyes and sighed heavily when he heard the bedroom door open slowly. It was Magnus. 

"How are you feeling?" Magnus asked. 

"Like I've been shot," Alec breathed out a laugh. "Much better now that you got the slugger out of me and I'm bandaged up. How's everyone out there?"

"Good," Magnus nodded as he closed the door behind him. "Jace went around to the other apartments to see what he could find. He found some canned beans and beef jerky so guess what we're having for breakfast in the morning."

Alec gagged but shrugged. He had worse food to eat in the past five years. "And Max? Is he okay?"

Magnus sat on the floor beside him, back leaned against the wall. "He's shaken up but that's normal. We just escaped a psychotic tyrant and his henchman. Plus his brother was shot. It's only natural that he's still a bit frightened."

They went quiet, listening to the soft chatter of Simon and Jace outside the bedroom. Every now and then Alec would hear Isabelle speak but couldn't quite pick out what it was that she was saying. 

"You mentioned that you had a friend in the City of Bones," Alec finally broke through the silence. 

"Jem? Yeah we kind of stuck together just after all this shit went down. He was handy with herbs and all that nature stuff. I was handy with weapons and makeshift tools. So we teamed up." Magnus chuckled to himself. "James Carstairs was smart as hell-"

"Wait. Did you just say James Carstairs?"

"Yeah. Why? Do you know him?"

Alec let out a laugh. "He was the resident Doctor back in Alicante. Had been for three years."

Magnus stared for a moment before shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "So that's where he ran off to. After I rescued him from Valentine, he took off one night without telling me. Never saw him since. But everyone in Alicante died in the freak storm...."

Alec frowned. "I'm sorry you didn't get to see him again. If it's any consolation, he was happy there. Found a wife. Her name was Tessa. She was a school teacher."

Magnus smiled softly. "I'm glad he finally settled down. I remember he used to talk about wanting a family before all this happened and believed that it would never happen. I guess he was wrong about that."

They both laughed softly, which only caused Alec to gasp in pain and clutch his shoulder. Magnus was beside him in seconds, checking the wound there. He was leaned in so close that Alec could see golden specks in his chocolate brown eyes and smell the faint smell of smoke coming off his clothes. Magnus saw that Alec was staring up at him and inhaled sharply, his eyes wondering down to Alec's plump lips. He leaned in, careful of Alec's shoulder, and kissed him softly on the mouth. 

Alec's soul felt like it left his body. Magnus felt so warm and gentle on his lips that he almost didn't want the kiss to end but it was cut short when Magnus pulled away, eyes wide and breath coming out in short pants. 

"I shouldn't have done that," Magnus said, his voice a low rasp.

"I wasn't complaining," Alec whispered back. 

Magnus jumped to his feet and headed towards the closed bedroom door. He turned to look at Alec for a second before speaking. "I'll have Clary or Isabelle check on you every now and then. Sleep well, Alexander."

He left the bedroom in a huff, the door clicking behind him as he closed it. Confused, Alec settled back down into his makeshift bed and stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought. How long has Magnus been waiting to do that? Was it just a spur of the moment? Or did he mean it? Life these days were short. Alec was well aware of that. People did strange things when they knew their days were numbered and anything could happen to them at any given moment. 

So was this one of those moments?

"No point in losing sleep over it," Alec grumbled to himself as he got comfortable under the blankets. "There's much more important things to be focussing on. Like the safety of the group. Food. Weapons...."

Alec eventually dozed off while thinking about anything and everything, completely unaware of Magnus peering back into the room again and smiling softly in at him.

"Is he asleep?" Isabelle whispered. 

"Yeah. Just dozed off," Magnus whispered back. He gently shut the door and went into the living room where Isabelle was stretched out on the futon with Max beside her. He took a seat on the recliner with a sigh. "We all had a long night. He's probably exhausted out of his mind."

"We all are." Isabelle moved a strand of hair from Max's face. "You came out in a hurry a few minutes ago. What happened in there?"

Magnus shrugged. "Nothing. Alec needed his rest so I left him to it."

Isabelle smirked. "Right. Okay."

"Nothing happened, Isabelle. Just drop it." Magnus turned away so that Isabelle couldn't see the blush that crept up to his cheeks. "Go to sleep. I'll keep watch for tonight."

"You need to sleep too, Magnus. Alec is just in the next room and he's sleeping peacefully knowing that we're safe and that we got out safe. So go to sleep. You deserve it."

Magnus watched her lay down beside her little brother and pull a blanket up over them both. He almost considered going into the room where Alec was and laying down beside him on the mattress but pushed that thought away once he realized how stupid it sounded. Isabelle would give him hell for it if she found out that he did it. So instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and without realizing it, fell asleep for the rest of the night.


	17. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

Alec woke up that morning and forgot where he was. Instead of laying on his somewhat comfortable bed back in Alicante, he found that he was laying down on a rock hard mattress with pillows piled up behind him to keep his upper body upright. 

He also forgot that he had been shot. Trying to get up from his uncomfortable sleeping position sent a wave of pain through his shoulder as well as a yell of agony. Isabelle rushed in seconds later, hands going to his arms. 

"Relax-relax! You're going to rip open your stitches!" She exclaimed. 

"Where am I? Where is everyone?" Alec croaked. His throat was dry and cracking from lack of hydration. 

"Out in the living room. We just finished eating breakfast. We saved some for you if you're feeling well enough to eat." Isabelle kneeled down next to her brother and felt his forehead. "Fever is down. How's your shoulder?"

Alec moved his arm. "Sore. Really sore. I think the pain knocked me out last night. I don't remember much after getting shot."

"Yeah, that'll happen when you're in a delirious amount of pain," said Isabelle. "You stay put. I'm gonna go get you some breakfast."

"What's for breakfast?"

"Canned beans and beef jerky. Not the greatest but at least it's something. The boys want to go scavenging around the other rooms later to see if they can stock up on supplies."

Alec shifted onto his good side. "Max too?"

"Well...." Isabelle shrugged. "You'll have to talk to Max about that. He's been waiting for you to wake up so he can come in and ask you about going."

She left the room. Alec sighed through his nose, knowing she was going to come back in a few minutes with Max following close behind her. The answer was going to be no, obviously, but Max was persistent and determined. Alec admired his little brother's unwavering bravery. 

A knock on the door meant Isabelle was back with breakfast. "Got you some beans and beef jerky. Part of a complete healthy breakfast," she said. 

"I'm sure it is-" Alec saw Max peering into the room and sighed. "Come here, you little squirt. Isabelle said you wanted to talk to me about something."

Isabelle ruffled Max's hair as he walked by. "I'll leave you men to it."

When she left, Max plopped down beside Alec's mattress. "Magnus is going scavenging with Simon and Jace later."

Alec shovelled a spoonful of beans into his mouth. "Yeah? What about it?"

"I...." Max squeezed his knees. "I wanna go, Alec. I wanna help get supplies. The more hands on deck, the better. That's what you always said, right?"

It was true. On more than occasion, Alec did say that the more hands they have to help, the higher the success of survival. Max must've held onto this after years of hearing Alec say this to his group. 

"Max. You know what I'm going to say to this. I don't know why you bother asking-"

"Because I thought if I kept asking then maybe you'd change your mind at some point," Max barely whispered. His eyes grew sullen as he looked over his older brother. "How's your shoulder?"

Alec's hand went subconsciously up to his wound. "This old thing? Barely a scratch. I'll be up and ready in no time."

Saying nothing, Max began to play with the zipper of his jacket, which Alec noticed was a size too big for the boy. It was camouflage green with a large hood and several pockets on the chest. He didn't ask where Max got it. He figured Magnus found it last night when he came back with supplies to help with Alec's wound. 

"I'm not a kid anymore, Alec. I'm practically a grown up-"

"You're 9, Max."

"So what?! I had to grow up in a shit world where kids are forced to grow up fast! Alec. Listen to me." Max leaned forward, eyes now filled with determination. "I know how to use a gun. I'm small. I can fit into tight spaces that adults can't get into. I'm an asset."

Alec grinned. "An asset, huh? Where did you learn that word?"

"Shut up," Max laughed. "I know lots of words. And it's true. I can be helpful out there. But you won't ever know because you never let me help out when it's obvious you need help."

Alec sighed. Max looked so much older than he really was. For a nine year old boy, he acted twice his age. He was more mature than an adult sometimes and it baffled Alec. "When are they leaving?"

Max's face lit up. "You're letting me go?"

"I didn't say that. I asked you when they were leaving."

Max got to his feet and ran out to the living room. He returned a minute later, breathless from running and from excitement. "At noon. I just asked them. So can I go?!"

Alec closed his eyes. "If I let you go you have to promise to stay close to the guys, okay? Don't run off and try to be a hero."

"Tough talk coming from a guy who's always trying to be a hero himself," Max retorted. "Just let me go, Sasquatch. I'll come back with all kinds of good stuff that we need. I promise to stick with the guys and not wander off."

With a cry of delight, Max jumped on top of Alec and hugged him. "Thank you! I won't let you down! I promise!"

"Good. I'm glad," Alec said through gritted teeth. The pain in his shoulder was slowly ebbing away as he breathed deeply in and out. "I don't have to remind you that your gun isn't a toy, do I?"

Max shook his head. "I know how to use a gun, Alec. It's a dangerous weapon and someone can get hurt."

Alec pat his little brother on the shoulder. "Good boy. Now go before I change my mind."

Max got to his feet. He was smiling like an idiot as he raced over to the bedroom door. 

"Max?" Alec said. 

Max stopped in front of the door, hand on the knob. "Yeah?"

Alec grinned. "Bring me back something cool, huh?"

Max smiled and nodded. "That I can do."

After Alec ate his breakfast, he sat up on the mattress and looked through the magazines that Clary brought in for him. They were mostly old gardening magazine but he did see an old celebrity gossip magazine that brought back old memories from the time it was dated. 

"Kim Kardashian is pregnant again," said a voice. Alec looked up from the magazine to see Magnus standing in the doorway. He was picking at a button on his shirt and looked somewhat nervous. 

"She was pregnant you mean. She's probably dead by now," Alec said as he tossed the magazine to the side. "All that fame and money didn't save her in the end. We all got what was coming to us. Equally."

Magnus continued to stand in the doorway. "Yeah. True. Money can't solve all your problems I suppose."

Seeing his discomfort, Alec waved him inside. "Come in and shut the door. I want to talk to you about something."

Magnus did as he was told and shut the door when he stepped inside the room. "If this is about what happened last night, then I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to kiss you. It just....sort of happened."

Alec cocked his head. "What? That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Far from it, actually."

"Oh," said Magnus. "Alright then. Then uh...." He cleared his throat. "I'm listening."

Alec sat up in his bed. "It's about Max. He's going with you on a raid so I wanted to lay down some ground rules with you before you leave."

Magnus took a seat on the floor. "He'll be fine, Alec. I'll be with him the entire time. So will Jace and Simon."

"I know. But this is his first raid and you need to repeat the rules to him. Got it?" He took a deep breath as Magnus nodded. "First rule is to stay within sight obviously. Don't wander off from the group."

"Everyone knows that rule. Next."

"Next rule is to only shoot when you have to. Don't waste bullets because that'll only draw attention to yourself."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Another cardinal rule everyone knows about. Come on, Alexander. Tell me something that the kid doesn't know about."

Hardly anyone ever called Alec by that name. It kind of caught him off guard. "Okay then. He needs to know that sometimes something worth taking isn't always the right thing to take."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Well....there's times where something looks too good to be and more often than not it is...." Alec's eyes dropped to Magnus' mouth. He hadn't noticed this before but there was stubble beginning to grow around his chin and jaw. Alec almost reached out and ran a finger over it but fought with every ounce of self-restraint he had in him not to do so. 

"Right. Okay. That was vague and didn't really make much sense but I'll relay the message." Magnus got to his feet. "Max will be fine, Alec. He's a good kid. You worry too much."

"I have every right to. He's my little brother. I promised our parents that I'd protect my siblings and that's exactly what I plan on doing. Worrying is a part of the package." Alec shifted on the mattress. "I'm going to go crazy if I have to spend another minute in this room."

"Hey-hey! Don't move around so much. You might rip open typur stitching. I'll go get Clary and she'll give you an update on the wound. Stay put."

Magnus went out into the living room where Clary was seated on the couch with a blanket over her. They couldn't open a window and make a fire due to the fact that Valentine's men might be out there looking for them so they had to resort to piling blankets over them to keep warm. 

"Clary? Would you be able to check Alec's wound and make sure there's no infection?" He asked her. 

She sat up on the couch. "Sure. Is he in a lot of pain or something? Is that why he wants me to check the stitching?" 

"Oh no. He's just going a little crazy in there. I guess he wants to move around more."

Jace snorted. "He's been in there not even 24 hours and he's going crazy? What a pansy-ow!" He winced as Isabelle punched him on the shoulder. 

Isabelle scowled. "He took a bullet for Max last night, you dick. Show some respect. Max could've been hurt. Or killed."

Sighing, Magnus gathered up the backpacks he'd found in the spare bedroom last night. He handed one to each of the men, including Max. "Here. You'll need these for when we head out. Try to not lay them anywhere that can get it stolen. Understood?"

He looked at Max when he said this. The boy nodded seriously in answer. 

"I'm going to go check on Alec. Are you guys leaving now or...." Clary got from the couch and held Jace's hand. 

"We can and we should. The earlier we get this over with the better. Plus it doesn't stay sunny for very long these days. Winter is just around the corner," said Magnus. "I'm ready when you guys are."

Jace pecked Clary on the lips before hoisting the backpack over his shoulder. "I'm good. Simon?"

Simon nodded. "I'm set."

Isabelle looked down at her little brother. "Remember what Alec told you?"

Max nodded. "I'll be fine, Iz. I'll come back with all kinds of cool stuff for us. Just you wait and see."

They said goodbye and left the apartment quietly. Alec didn't even hear them leave as he fell asleep just after Clary checked his wound. She said it wasn't infected, which was a good sign and the first step towards recovery. Not long after that, he dozed off into a deep sleep. 

A loud bang woke him up. He wasn't sure what time it was exactly; it was dark, that much he knew. The sky outside the window was black so it had to be after 8. Max and the men should be back by now. 

Alec strained his ears. There were no voices coming from outside the room. Or at least none that he could hear. So he sat up on the mattress and struggled to get to his feet. 

He managed to reach the bedroom door and open it. Clary was the first to notice that he awake and up, rushing to his side to help him walk. 

"Jesus, Alec. What are you doing up?" She struggled to hold up his weight. 

"I heard a bang. Is Max back?" He winced as he sat down in the kitchen chair. 

Clary bit her lip. "They got back a few minutes ago. They're in the spare bedroom-"

"Are they okay? Was anyone injured?"

Isabelle stepped into the room. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were solemn. 

"Izzy. Where's Max?" Alec tried to look around her into the spare bedroom. "Where is he, Isabelle?"

"He...." Isabelle swallowed. "The guys came back. There was an ambush waiting for them outside-"

"Outside?! What the fuck were they doing outside?!" Alec yelled. "Max told me they were going to the other apartments!"

"That's what he told me too! Until Jace came back and said they were scavenging nearby houses. Then...."

Alec clenched his jaw. "Then what, Isabelle?"

Isabelle looked him in the eye. "Valentine's men ambushed them. The guys didn't even see them coming and they were prepared-"

"Isabelle. I'm only going to ask you this one more time," Alec said in an eerily calm voice. "Where. Is. Max?"

Isabelle shudder a sigh. "Valentine's men took him. Valentine has Max."


	18. Gut Feelings

Magnus stepped into the room just in time to see Alec lunge at Jace. "What the hell is going on here?" He shouted over the raised voices of the two brothers. 

"What's going on?! You know damn well what's going on," Alec breathed heavily. He looked and sounded like a bull ready to charge; the anger in his eyes causing his pupils to dilate. "You both said you would take care of Max when you went out to scavenge."

Magnus bowed his head. "Yes. I-"

"So, that was a false promise then? As soon as you stepped out that door did you three decide 'ah fuck it' or something?"

Jace shoved Alec forcefully into a wall. "Fuck you! Max is my brother too! I tried to get him back! How else did you think I ended up getting shot?!"

His own wound throbbing in his shoulder, Alec looked down to see Jace's leg dripping with blood. "I would've kept trying," he said, his voice a low whisper. 

"I did, Alec. Even when the bullet struck me, I ran after their truck. I can only do so much on one good leg."

Alec turned to fix his eyes on Simon and Magnus. "So what happened to your legs? Or can you only do so much too?"

"Alec," Isabelle hissed. "They tried their best-"

"Yeah? Well maybe their best wasn't good enough, Izzy. We got Quantico over here who's supposedly skilled in all areas of combat. He could've done something to save Max. Then we got Simon. As useless as he is-"

"Hey! That's enough!" Isabelle's hand cracked against her brother's cheek as she slapped him. The force was so strong that Alec's head actually turned to the side upon impact. "Don't you dare call him useless. He's the one that the water irrigation system going back in Alicante. In case you already forgot."

Alec's cheek throbbed in sync with his shoulder. "I didn't. I'm just...." The room began to spin around him and he tilted to one side. 

Magnus was the one that caught him. "Come on, big guy. Let's get you back to your room to rest. You shouldn't even be up in the first place."

He carried Alec back to his room. Once Alec was resting comfortably on his mattress, he changed Alec's bandage again. He'd torn open a few stitches when Jace shoved him against the wall and was bleeding profusely. 

"I know you all tried to get him back," Alec rasped. "I didn't mean to react the way I did."

"I know. You don't have to apologize to me. Max is your baby brother and I totally understand. Your reaction was justified."

Alec swallowed hard. "I just feel like....I failed, you know? I promised our parents that I'd watch over them and I can't even do that. For all I know Max could be dead-"

"Hey. He's not dead. Don't talk like that." With his finger and thumb, Magnus gripped Alec's chin and forced Alec to look at him. "We're going to get him back. Okay? I'll take full responsibility for losing him. I should've been watching him more closely."

Alec winced as Magnus sewed him back up. "If you're going out there then I'm coming with you-"

"You," Magnus pointed at Alec's chest, "are doing no such thing. You're staying here and resting. Besides. You'll only slow me down."

"I won't slow you down," Alec scowled. He hated feeling powerless like this. 

"Look. I'll be quick. In and out. You won't even notice I'm gone. You go to sleep, and when you wake up Max will be out in that living room doing whatever it is that 9 year olds do during the zombie apocalypse. Understood?"

After a moment of consideration, Alec finally nodded in agreement. "Fine. Just promise me you'll bring him back in one piece?"

Magnus smiled. "I'll try. If I don't, please make it as swift as painless as you can."

Alec cocked his head. "What are you talking about? Make what swift and painless?"

"My death. You'll kill me if I don't bring Max back, right? Dead or alive."

Alec's mouth opened and closed before shutting it and clenching his jaw. "No. I won't. Because I know you tried your damnedest to protect him the first time around and I know you'll try your damnedest again. So no. I won't kill you."

A visible sense of relief went through Magnus' body. "Alright. Fair enough. I'll bring him back safe and sound, Alexander. Don't worry. Just....just stay there and try to rest, okay? I won't be long."

He got to feet and made a move to leave when Alec's hand shot out and grabbed his. 

"Hey," Alec whispered. His face was strained for a moment before a smile lit up his handsome features. "Thanks."

Magnus looked down at their hands then back up into Alec's eyes. "No thank you is necessary. You'd do the same if I was in the same predicament."

He left the room, shutting the door behind him as he left. With a shiver, Alec pulled his blankets up over his body and leaned back comfortably against his pillows. 

"You're right," he whispered up at the ceiling. "I would."

~~~~~~~~~~

After prepping for the trip back into the City of Bones, several realizations struck Magnus as soon as he slipped out of his apartment building. 

1: There was a good possibility that Max was already long dead. 

2: There was also a good possibility that he might not make it out alive. 

3: He was absolutely fucking terrified. 

Magnus never really gave into his fears. In Quantico he learned that you had to set aside your fears and focus on the task at hand regardless of the dangers you were facing but he'd learned that the hard way growing up in a rough neighbourhood that didn't tolerate anything outside their close knit, upper class white community. 

"I wonder what happened to them," Magnus mumbled to himself. "Are they alive? Did they turn? Money couldn't save them in the end after all. Shame."

He ducked behind a trash can when he heard a group of Forsaken up ahead. Their groans became louder as they got closer to where Magnus was hiding. When he peeked out from his hiding spot, he counted nine Forsaken walking around. 

"Dammit," he hissed under his breath. He couldn't take all of them on with just a hunting knife that he'd found back at the apartment complex. He would have to lure them away somehow. 

The other option is to go around them and avoid them altogether. That's what he'd been doing for years, picking off only the ones that came too close or were in the way of where he needed to go. Killing them felt almost like killing an actual human being and for some weird reason, that frightened him. Despite the training he received in Quantico, shooting someone, dead or alive, made him feel sick to his stomach. 

"Time to toughen up, Bane," he muttered under his breath. "There's a kid's life at stake. Can't act like a pussy now at a time like this this."

The Forsaken scattered through the streets a little. Their groans and guttural sounds were drawing in more from the surrounding area. With a deep inhale of breath, Magnus whistled to draw their attention. A few of them turned their heads towards the sound, shuffling as fast as they could towards the alley where Magnus was concealed behind a garbage box. He fist pumped the air when they moved past him before quickly racing out onto the street where the rest of the Forsaken were. Since there weren't as many, he easily slipped past them without too much trouble. 

That was the easy part. The hard part was trying to get back into the City of Bones without being detected. Humans were harder to fool.....sometimes. It was a fluke that Magnus managed to escape not once but twice. Now having to go back in and try to escape a third time felt like a cruel and unusual form of punishment. 

Magnus sent a silent prayer up to whoever was listening upstairs and hoped that the hole in the fence was still there. He was only twenty feet away from it. Fifteen. Ten. Five.....

It was there. 

He sent a thankful up to the sky and slipped through it. The guards that were at the main gates didn't even see him as he raced behind the buildings unnoticed. Then again, the guards weren't exactly the brightest to begin with. 

Valentine's building was lit up out front, so just waltzing through the front doors weren't an option. The back was probably guarded but not as heavily as the front. So as quietly as he could, Magnus slipped around back into the bushes. Two guards stood at the door, guns in their hands and talking in low voices. 

To grab their attention, Magnus rustled the bushes he was in. They stopped talking immediately and slowly approached, guns at the ready. Once they were close enough, Magnus jumped out and grabbed the first guard's neck, snapping it instantly. The other one was about to yell when Magnus stabbed him through the lower jaw. Blood gurgled out as the guard struggled but in a few moments, he was dead. 

Moving their bodies into the bushes, Magnus then moved inside. If Valentine had Max hidden, he'd more than likely be held upstairs to give the child a sense of security; to make it feel as it if he were actually safe and no harm would come to him. 

Magnus knew that was a lie. 

It was quiet. Almost too quiet. Getting upstairs was too easy and something in his gut told Magnus that something was very, very wrong. There should've been guards inside the building as well as the outside. But there wasn't. 

So where the hell was everyone?

All the doors on the second floor were closed. So in order for Magnus to peer inside, he had to look through the keyholes. He did this for seven doors before the eighth one revealed a scared looking Max sitting on a bed with his arms tied together. He also looked gagged. 

"Max!" Magnus hissed. He picked the lock and slipped inside the room, rushing over to the boy on the bed. "I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Are you hurt?"

Max shook his head and grunted against his gag. Magnus removed the dirty cloth from his mouth and Max's eyes widened. "Get out," he whispered. 

Magnus squinted in confusion. "What? Why?"

"It's a-it's a trap, Magnus. Valentine took me to get to you."

"Me?" Magnus unsheathed his knife to cut off the zip tie around Max's wrists. "Why does Valentine want me?"

"Because you've slipped through my fingers twice, Magnus. Did you honestly think I was going to let you get away with that?"

Magnus, on his knees in front the bed, froze in place as he heard the safety of a gun being turned off. The barrel of the gun was pressed against the back of his head; he didn't dare move. 

"The kid is right. I knew you'd be the one to come rescue him. His brother is injured and you know this place like the back of your hand. What better person to send.....than you?"

Magnus closed his eyes. He sent a silent apology to Alec before he was hit on the back of his skull, sending him into complete blackness. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Alec sat up so quickly that it sent a wave of pain through his shoulder. Something didn't feel right. He couldn't explain what or explain why for that matter, but he knew that something was seriously wrong. 

"Izzy!" He called out. "Isabelle!"

Isabelle rushed into the room, looking frantic. "What? What's wrong?!"

Grimacing in pain, Alec sat up on his bed. "Help me up. I got to follow Magnus to the City of Bones."

Isabelle paused. "Uh.....why? He said he'd be back in no time."

Alec ended up rising from the bed on his own. As he slipped his shirt on over his head, he said "I can't explain right now. There's no time."

Isabelle moved out of his way as he approached the bedroom door. "You got one of your gut feelings again. Didn't you?"

"Ah," Alec shook his head. "I can't....something's tugging at my gut, Iz. Telling me to follow Magnus. I can't-"

"Explain. Yeah. I know." Isabelle helped him out into the kitchen. Everyone was seated around the table eating canned corn they'd found on the scavenge. "Guys. Alec's going to find Magnus. He thinks there might be something wrong."

"Wrong?" Jace stood to his feet. "Why would he think that?" Isabelle went over and whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened. "Oh. Then we definitely have to find him if that's the case."

"Uh, do you mind filling us in? What did Isabelle whisper?" asked Simon. 

Jace sighed. "Growing up we learned not to second guess Alec's gut feelings. When he says he has one, you go with it. No hesitation."

Simon glanced at Alec. "So you say there's something wrong with Magnus?"

Alec shrugged. "Like I told Isabelle. I can't explain it. All I know is that something went wrong and I have to see it for myself."

Jace nodded. "Okay. But we're going with you."

"No," Alec chuckled. "Absolutely not. I can't risk your lives like that-"

"But you'll risk yours? Sorry bud. That's not how it works. We're going with you whether you like it or not. Izzy. Gather up the weapons. Or what you can find." Jace looked Alec in the eye and smiled softly. "We're gonna watch your back, big brother. If anything happens we'll be right there with you."

Alec nodded but said nothing. "What do we have weapons wise?"

Clary laid out several knives on the table. "This is just what we found in the apartments. No guns though."

"Speak for yourself," Jace smirked. He put a duffel bag on the table and opened it. "Before Max was....you know. We found this in the house next door. Whoever lives there has an arsenal in the basement. We can stock up there before we leave."

After changing Alec's gauze, the group headed next door to stock up on weapons. Jace wasn't kidding about the arsenal; the basement was filled with guns and machetes designed to cut through even the most tough material. 

"Only in America, right?" Simon muttered under his breath. The machete he held in his hand was almost the length of his entire arm. "I feel like Rambo but less badass."

"I wonder who lived here before," Clary said. She picked up a handgun and looked it over. "He or she was obviously prepared for something like this."

Alec said nothing. He had paused in front of a wall display and was staring in awe. There on a hook was the most beautiful bow he'd ever laid eyes on in his life. It was silver, about five feet in length, with a black handle along the middle for extra grip. 

"I think he just fell in love," Isabelle snorted. 

"Magnus will be so disappointed," Jace retorted, causing the two siblings to snicker behind their brother's back. 

Alec took the bow down off the display and held it professionally. The string was stiff due to the fact that it was unused for a long time but he had the muscle in his arms to be able to pull it back properly. 

"It's beautiful," Alec whispered. "It's even better than the one I had back at Alicante. Are there any arrows for it?"

Jace pointed to a closet behind them. "Ammo is in there. I doubt someone would put it on display just for show. It's got to be used at some point, right?"

They geared up and left the house with as much as they could carry. With each of them carrying a weapon, the odds of defending themselves increased a lot. Though they didn't have an army behind them or an arsenal of weapons, Alec felt more confident that they'd be able to get Magnus and Max back safely. 

"So this gut feeling," Simon spoke up. "Does this happen often or is it like once in a blue moon kind of thing?"

"I don't know," Alec shrugged. "They always used to revolve around my siblings. Call it brotherly instinct if you will. But I'd get these feelings when something was wrong and most of the time I was right. Something would be wrong with them."

"He's not wrong," Jace chimed in. "Back in middle school I fell off the ropes during gym class and I shit you not, this guy here comes running all the way from up at the high school because he knew something was wrong. He's practically psychic."

Simon whistled. "I'm impressed. Too bad he didn't get a gut feeling about the impending apoca-"

"Get down!" Alec hissed just as a spray of bullets missed them by a hair. 

"Who's shooting at us?!" Jace yelled over the noise. 

"Valentine's men probably," Isabelle cocked her gun. "They knew we were coming."

"How?!" Simon winced as bullets ricocheted off the garbage bin he was hidden behind. 

"Don't be stupid, Simon. Think about it. Valentine knew Magnus was there before. He just didn't say anything. So when he took Max, he knew that Magnus would be the one to come rescue him. Now they're both captured."

"Because Valentine knew we'd all come to their rescue," Jace breathed. "Fuck."

Without saying a word, Alec looked over the trunk of the car he was leaning against and gasped. There, standing on a wall that he didn't remember ever being there before, was Max and Magnus. They both had their arms tied behind their backs and guns pointed at their heads. 

And Valentine stood beside them.

"Gentlemen. And ladies, of course. So nice of you to show up!" Valentine shouted. 

Alec grit his teeth. "Free my brother and Magnus and we'll leave quietly! You won't ever see us again!"

Valentine laughed. "Why would I do that? Your brother I'd happily hand back to you. This one," he poked Magnus with the barrel of his gun, "has been in and out of here twice already and I'm not about to forgive him so easily."

Jace gripped Alec's arm. "Whatever you feel like you have to do, now is a good time to do it."

"No," Alec shook his head. "If you mean take out Valentine, I can't do that right now. I could hit Max. Or Magnus for that matter. Plus he's surrounded by men with much bigger guns than we got. Do you really want to have a gunfight right now? Considering our odds?"

Jace thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I don't. But we can't just leave them there-"

"We won't. Trust me. I know what I'm doing." Alec slowly got to his feet, his arms raised above his head in surrender. "I'm unarmed! Don't shoot!"

Despite his group's protests, Alec approached the wall so that Valentine was much more visible than before. Now that he was closer, he could see that there were a group of Forsaken just below the wall. About twenty of them stood trapped between three cars, which made a square at the bottom of the wall; a pit. Alec could imagine what they were for. 

"Alexander. Of course you'd be the one to step forward," Valentine chuckled. "How are you doing today?"

Alec scowled. "I'd be doing a lot better if you released my brother and my friend."

"Oh. I'm sorry you're feeling a bit down today. No can do. But you can make a choice here."

Alec shut his eyes and bit his lip. "Please don't," he whispered. "Don't make me choose."

Valentine went on. "You can choose. Personally I would pick Mr. Bane. He's slippery."

Magnus swallowed and smiled. "It's okay, Alexander. I knew I'd get caught eventually. Save Max and go-"

"So what's your decision? I'll give you ten seconds. That's all my patience will allow," said Valentine. "Starting now."

Alec's breathing quickened. "You're really making me pick? You're sick!"

"Clock is ticking," Valentine said in a singsong voice. 

"Alec just take Max and GO!" Magnus yelled. 

"Alec I'm scared!" Max whined. 

"Don't be scared buddy I'll save you both-"

"Three, two-"

"Max! I pick Max!" Alec could hear the crack in his own voice as he yelled his brother's name. 

Valentine's smile stretched right across his face. "As you wish."

Max's scream echoed as Valentine shoved him down into the pit of Forsaken below. Riled up, the zombies were on him immediately as they all tried to grab him for a bite. 

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Alec screamed as he heard the sickening squelches of the Forsaken sinking their teeth into Max's flesh. He watched in horror as his little brother's head popped up for a moment above the crowd of zombies, half his face torn off before disappearing back down under the horde. 

His screams were like a hundred bullets to Alec's heart. 

Magnus turned to face Valentine. "You're a sick bastard. Who the fuck sacrifices an innocent child like that?"

Valentine shrugged nonchalantly. "I told him to choose. Not my fault he didn't know what he was choosing."

Magnus was about to retort when an arrow went clean through Valentine's temples. It was so sudden that everyone around him gasped in unison as their leader instantly dropped dead. When he looked down to see where the arrow had come from, he saw Alec standing with his bow raised and another arrow notched on the string. 

Everything exploded into chaos. Shots were fired as Valentine's men open fired on Alec's small group below, but they didn't run. They shot right back. Seeing this as an opportunity to run, Magnus slipped past everyone on the wall and made a run for it towards his group. 

"Come on!" He yelled to them. "This is a battle you can't win!"

Jace shot a few more times before grabbing Alec by the collar and dragging him backwards. "Alec we gotta go! There's too many of them!"

Alec kept firing his bow even as they ran from the battlefield. He could still hear them shooting even his group disappeared from view but he didn't care. He wasted ten more arrows on the Forsaken that they ran past in order to get back to the apartment. 

Once inside they all fell to the floor in silence. Clary began to sob uncontrollably after a few minutes, followed by Isabelle and Simon. Jace just stared at the floor, eyes empty. Alec said nothing, his hands fluttering at his sides. 

Magnus frowned. "Alec. I'm so-I'm so sorry. If I would've known-"

"You couldn't have known. None of us did. I didn't know what I was choosing for so his blood is on my hands." Alec stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him. 

A minute passed before a prolonged scream caused the group to fall quiet. They all stared at the closed bedroom door as Alec screamed his voice raw. When he stopped, none of them dared to breathe; it was the most anguished sound they ever heard. 

"I'll go check on him," Magnus whispered. "See if he's okay."

The door creaked open as Magnus peeked inside. Alec was knelt on the floor beside his mattress, hands clenched into fists. He was back on to the door but he didn't look to see who had come in. 

"Alec?" Magnus softly whispered. "Look....I'm so sorry about Max. It was me that should've taken the fall-"

Magnus yelped as he was pulled down to the mattress and pinned there. Alec's lips were pressed to his and were hungrily kissing him in a desparate attempt to get closer and closer. 

"Alec," Magnus gasped as his neck was being kissed. "What's-what are you doing?"

Alec groaned. "Please. Just let me....just let me do this."

Magnus closed his eyes. Who was he to deny Alec's coping mechanism? If this was what Alec wanted, then he'd allow it. Though it felt good, the reason for it felt wrong. But Magnus couldn't say anything. Alec just lost his baby brother. If he felt this would help him cope, Magnus wasn't in a position to tell him otherwise. 

Alec slipped his hands under Magnus' jacket and shrugged it off. The heat that radiated off them both was making the air around them stifling and hard to breathe in. Their kisses only grew more hungry as more clothes fell to the floor. 

Magnus carefully removed Alec's shirt, aware of the wound in his shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed the skin beside it, causing Alec to moan softly. 

"Did I hurt you?" Magnus whispered. 

"No. It doesn't hurt anymore. At least not there."

Magnus continued to kiss Alec's soft skin. "Where does it hurt?" 

A tear fell from Alec's eye. "My chest. It feels like it's been split in half."

Magnus felt the tear land on his hand so he leaned forward and pressed his lips on Alec's chest right above his heart. "I know I can't fix this. At least not like I can with needles and gauze. But the pain doesn't last forever."

Alec swallowed audibly and nodded. "Okay."

"And you have to promise you won't do anything stupid to avenge him. Or try to hurt yourself out of grief."

"Okay."

Magnus gripped Alec's chin and forced his face forward. "Look at me. Promise me you won't cave in on yourself. You have a group out there that depend on you. They can't see that you're deteriorating or else otherwise they'll feel like they have to follow behind."

"But-" Alec started to sob uncontrollably. "I killed my baby brother, Magnus. I let him die and I couldn't do anything to save him. There was nothing I could do and I feel like a failure for not being able to save his life."

The evident whine and thick emotion in Alec's voice broke Magnus' heart. Here was a strong man, a powerful leader who'd do anything for his group, falling apart at the seams. 

"Hey," Magnus kissed Alec gently on the lips. "Let me help you forget just for one night. Can you let me do that?"

Alec's sobs diminished as he nodded. "I-I could use the distraction."

Magnus nodded. "Good. Now just out of curiosity....have you ever been with a man before?"

Alec finally looked into Magnus' eyes. "No."

"Okay....have you been with anyone at all?" When Alec bit his lip, Magnus sighed heavily. "Alright. I don't have any condoms though....if I did they're probably all expired by now. I'll take it easy on you then. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Alec nodded. "I want to forget. Even if it is just for one night."

Magnus leaned forward and kissed Alec slowly on the lips. "Okay. That I can do. We can decide how to deal with this tomorrow, okay? For now let's....let's just drown ourselves in each other."

Alec groaned as Magnus pressed against the hard lump in his boxers. "Tomorrow sounds great. As long as I don't think about-"

"Shhh," Magnus placed a finger over Alec's lips, silencing him. "No talking. Just let me help you forget...."

And that's exactly what Alec did.


	19. Where Do We Go From Here?

Max was standing just a few feet away from him. If Alec just reached out an arm, his brother could grab onto his hand and Alec could pull him from the mass of Forsaken that were quickly approaching. 

"Max! Grab my hand!" Alec yelled. 

Max reached for Alec's hand. "Alec! Save me!"

"I'm trying, buddy! Just reach and grab my hand!"

Max reached further and managed to grab the tips of Alec's fingers. This was enough for Alec. He pulled and Max flew forward just in time as a Forsaken made a grab for him. 

"Run, okay? Try to keep up," Alec breathed. He took Max's hand and began to run. The apartment was just off in the distance. If they could run a little faster-

"Alec," Max's small voice said. 

"Not now, Max! We have to run!" Alec yelled without glancing at Max. 

"Alec!"

Alec stopped to see what was wrong. Max had stopped in the middle of the road, head down and what looked like blood dripping off his face and hands. "Max? What's wrong?"

"You...." Max gurgled. "You promised you'd protect me."

Horrified, Alec watched as his baby brother lifted his head and stumbled backwards onto the concrete. Max's face was half torn off, revealing solid bone and muscle tissue underneath. He was missing an eyeball as well as an ear. 

"Max," Alec whimpered. "I'm so sorry-"

"YOU MADE A PROMISE!" Forsaken Max yelled as he dove forward and bit down on Alec's neck-

"Alec! Wake up!"

Alec woke up. He was back inside Magnus' apartment, breathing heavily and still laying on the mattress which was drenched in his own sweat. Magnus hovered above him with a look of obvious worry on his face. 

"Are you....okay?" Magnus asked. 

Alec wiped a hand over his damp face. "Was I dreaming?"

"You were doing more than dreaming. You were moaning and talking in your sleep. Then you started screaming."

Alec sat up with a sigh. "What was I making a racket about?"

Magnus looked away. "It wasn't important. You're awake now and that's all that matters. Breakfast is ready when you're feeling up to it. Take your time."

Alec forced a smile as Magnus stepped out of the room. It took a few deep breaths before Alec found the energy to get up and put his clothes on. The gauze on his shoulder was covered in fresh blood so he changed it himself. It was sloppily done but it was better than nothing. 

The group were all gathered around the kitchen table when he stepped out. They looked up, offered small smiles, and went immediately back to eating their crappy breakfast consisting of canned beans and what looked like eggs. Where the eggs came from, Alec didn't dare ask. Eggs were eggs at the end of the day.

"Morning," he rasped. His voice was still thick with sleep. "Did I miss anything last night?"

The group looked at each other but didn't speak. It wasn't until Jace heaved a sigh did he say something. 

"You didn't miss much. Crying mostly. Isabelle gave me a black eye. But other than that, things were hunky dory."

Alec finally noticed the bruise around Jace's eye. "Izzy? Why did you punch him?"

Isabelle scowled into her bowl of beans. "Why don't you tell him, Jace? Seeing how you're the one with the fat mouth around here."

Alec looked to Jace. "Tell me what? What did you say?"

Jace's mouth moved mechanically but no words came out. Isabelle became fed up with it and answered for him. 

"We got into an argument last night. Things got heated and he...he said that it should've been you that died yesterday. Not Max."

Alec clenched his jaw. "I see."

"That's when I punched him. It just came over me. I couldn't control myself. But am I sorry?" Isabelle shook her head. "Not one fucking bit. Piece of shit deserved it."

"I'm sitting right here!" Jace snapped. "Stop talking about me like I'm not in the room!"

The two siblings began to argue when Alec slammed a fist on the table. Their bowls and utensils shook with the action and they instantly fell quiet. 

"Stop. Please. Just...." Alec breathed shakily. "I need to get some air."

He rose from the table and grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch before storming out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. The hallway was quiet. But he needed to go outside and clear his head. The apartment just felt too crowded at the moment. 

It was a clear morning. Apart from a few clouds in the sky, the sun was shining and birds flew by overhead. The wind blew through what was left of the leaves in the trees, their soft rustling reminding Alec of when he'd run home from school to go pumpkin carving with his father on the front lawn during the first week of October. Though this memory was from a long time ago, it was still fresh in Alec's mind like it only happened yesterday. 

"Alexander," Magnus appeared behind him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I said I was getting some air, didn't I? So here I am. Outside. Getting some air," Alec retorted. "Why are you here? Did the others send you to check up on me or something?"

Magnus shook his head. "No. I just thought I'd come check on you myself. Make sure you weren't up to something stupid."

A crow squawked overhead, causing them both to flicker their gaze upwards. It landed on the telephone pole beside them and preened itself. 

"It's not stupid," Alec finally replied. 

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Alec kicked a rock on the ground with his shoe. "What I'm up to. It's not stupid. It's....personal. But definitely not stupid."

Magnus nodded. "Okay. Then let me help you. And don't argue with me, Alexander. You're not in any condition to be out here doing anything strenuous."

A small laugh escaped Alec. "You don't even know what it is I'm doing."

There was a small but sad smile on Magnus' face when Alec looked at him. It was a sympathetic smile. 

"I think I have a general idea," he said quietly. "Come on. We're wasting time just standing around doing nothing."

With their knives out, both men stealthily made their way back towards where Valentine was shot on the wall. There weren't as many Forsaken around like before, but there were still a nice few; enough to make them cautious and wary of the outcome if things went bad. 

"Do you see him?" Magnus whispered. 

Alec scanned the zombies. "No. He probably wandered off somewhere but let's get rid of them anyway. Just to be on the safe side."

"Fair enough. I'll cover the other side. You got this one?"

"Yup. I'm ready when you are."

Magnus nodded as he crept to the other side of the street. Once he was on the other side, he whistled at the Forsaken near him. This immediately got their attention and their growls grew louder as soon as they saw him. 

Alec did the same for his side. He whistled to get their attention and once they noticed him, he gripped his knife and stabbed each one quickly in the skull as they drew near. By the time he was finished on his side, he was covered in blood. 

Magnus stabbed the last one on his side from under the jaw. As he let it fall to the ground, he sang out, "How about now? Do you see him?"

Once again, Alec scanned the area. Just by the corner of the wall where it looked like one of Valentine's men had fallen during their shootout, was him. Alec's legs almost gave out at the sight of him clawing and chewing at the flesh of the soldier, blood dripping from his teeth and mouth. 

"Oh god." Alec felt his knees finally give out and he would've cracked them on the cement if Magnus hadn't caught him by the arm. "Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck...."

"Shhh. It's okay. At least we found him, right?" Magnus whispered in Alec's ear. "How did you want to approach this?"

Alec swallowed back a sob. "I have to-I have to be the one to do it. It only feels right if it comes from me."

"Of course," Magnus nodded. "Let me know if you need any help. I'll just be over here."

Max lift his head as Alec approached, snarling as flesh dripped from his mouth. The sound it made as it hit the ground almost made Alec vomit; it was a sickly slop that sounded just like raw meat hitting a hard surface. It wasn't a sound that a 9 year should make....alive or not. 

"Hey buddy. It's me. Your big brother," Alec forced out through a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed before speaking again. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. This wasn't what I wanted for you. Not by a long shot."

Max growled and stood to his feet. When the sunlight hit his face, Alec could see that the flesh around his left eye and ear were completely missing just as it had been in his nightmare. All that showed now was flesh and a bit of bone underneath. His eye was also missing from its socket. 

"Oh Max," Alec groaned. "I'm so fucking sorry. You needed me to save you and I failed. The one promise I made to mom and dad....and I couldn't even do that."

Alec held his little brother's shoulders to keep him from getting any closer. As he held Max in place, the child kept trying to sink his teeth into Alec's flesh, snarling and clawing with decaying fingernails. 

"I love you. You know that, right? Even though you were an annoying shit sometimes, I loved you to the moon and back. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for you, Mad Max."

Max weakly flailed in his arms in an attempt to grab Alec, but slipped on the flesh he'd been chewing on minutes ago. When he hit the ground, Alec sunk to his knees and hugged him from behind. 

"I'm also sorry for what I'm about to do. But this is going to put you out of your misery, okay buddy? It won't hurt one bit-" Alec winced as Max snarled and struggled in his arms. "I love you, Max. I'm so sorry."

It was like slicing butter with a hot knife. The way it slid so easily into Max's skull was the final straw for Alec as his small breakfast came up his throat and out his mouth. He turned his head, spewing up the contents beside him. 

Magnus suddenly appeared by his side. He said nothing at first, only speaking when Alec finished wiping his mouth with his sleeve. 

"You okay?" He asked, voice low and subdued. 

"I'm fine. Help me get him off the ground. I'm too weak to lift him on my own."

Magnus lifted a finger. "I know just the thing that can help us out here."

He disappeared for a moment and returned with a shopping cart. It made a loud clattering noise as it hit the bumps and rubble in the road but it seemed to withstand it, as rusty and old as it was. Alec thought he saw "Walmart" written on the handlebars. 

"A shopping cart?" He rasped. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Well I don't see you putting any suggestions into the suggestion box. This is the best I could come up with. All things considered. A car is too loud. It'll only draw attention to us. Plus it's not too heavy to push so it's less energy we use up."

Alec sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not putting my dead brother in a shopping cart, Magnus. He's not some toy I got at a store-"

"I never said he was. I know it's not exactly a hearse, Alexander, but it's the best fucking idea I can come with at the moment. So either you can put him in the cart or carry him. Which is it going to be?"

The two men glared at each other before Alec finally made a move to get to his feet. 

"Fine. I'll put him in the cart. But I won't like it," Alec snapped at him. 

"I don't expect you to. But I don't hear any complaints from our client here," Magnus pointed down at Max, who was now placed awkwardly inside the cart. 

"Fuck off," Alec grumbled. "I want to head back and bury him behind the building. There's a nice little garden back there that I think he'd like."

They walked back to the apartment in silence. The only time they made a sound was when they heard growling in the distance and they gasped in surprise, freezing in place at the noise. Other than that, the return trip back to the apartment building was as awkward as the body they had placed in the cart. 

The remainder of the group were outside when Alec pulled up with the cart. Jace reacted first, waving his arms in anger as he yelled. 

"You put him in a shopping cart?! Is this some sort of sick joke?!" He yelled. He turned to face Magnus. "Was this your idea?!"

"Lower your voice. There's Forsaken around and they're close. And no, it wasn't Magnus' idea. It was mine."

Magnus' jaw dropped but he immediately closed it as Alec continued to speak. 

"We didn't have anything else to use. Cars are too noisy. I'm too weak to carry him on my own. So we did what we could, Jace. So shut the fuck up and get out of my face. I'm burying our brother."

Alec took a few steps forward but froze when Isabelle moved to stand in front of him. 

"No," she said. "We are burying our brother."

A look of understanding passed over Alec's face. He nodded. "Okay. But I'll need help digging a hole and wrapping him up in something."

"Clary and I can go inside and find something nice to wrap him in," said Simon. "Is there anything you guys would prefer to see him buried in?"

The Lightwoods never said a word. They hadn't expected their youngest sibling to pass so soon and the thought of having to bury him so young completely clouded their ability to think straight. 

"White," Magnus finally spoke up. "Some cultures bury their dead in white cloth. Though my bedsheets aren't exactly ceremonial, I think they'd be okay for this occasion. If that's okay with the family of the deceased, that is."

Isabelle nodded. "It's fine. As long as he's wrapped nicely."

Simon placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I used to work at a laundromat way back when. I've been gifted by the laundry gods the power of folding."

This made Isabelle laugh through the tears as Simon disappeared with Clary back inside to find some white bedsheets. "He's annoyingly cute, isn't he?"

"Annoying, yes. Cute? I don't see what you see," Jace grumbled under his breath. The temperature had dropped since they'd been standing around outside and they could see their breath as they breathed out. "So was he easy to find when you went back?"

"Not at first. We had to get rid of a few Forsaken before we could finally pinpoint him." Alec shivered against the cold, causing his shoulder to throb. "Once we found him, the rest was easy. Just like any other zombie."

"Except he wasn't."

Alec and Jace looked at their sister as she said that. Her arms were pressed against her chest and her teeth were chattering from the cold. 

They didn't disagree with her. 

Clary and Simon reappeared with some white sheets in their hands. Simon even had a shovel to dig a hole with. 

"We found this in Max's bag. We thought he might like to have them for when we....you know." 

Clary handed Alec a bunch of comic books, all of which had seen better days. They were mostly Superman comics that Alec had found on his scavenges back in Alicante. 

"He loved Superman," Alec chuckled. "He was always calling me that because I'd always come back from scavenges without a scratch. I guess he thought I was bulletproof or something."

Jace put a hand on Alec's shoulder. "He thought the absolute world of you, dude. Trust me. Whenever I'd be helping him with his homework he'd always talk about you like you were God himself. The kid really loved you."

"Alec did raise him, Jace. We all did. But Alec did more than any of us ever could. I mean...." Isabelle coughed. "He had the guts to go and find him and bring him back. We didn't."

The group fell quiet. It was only when a gust of cold wind picked up did Magnus take the shovel from Simon's hands. 

"Let's do this before we'll need to dig a grave for all of us. It's too damn cold to be standing around like this."

Simon kept his word and wrapped Max's little body up so elegantly that it looked like it was done by a professional. By the time he was finished with that, Magnus and Jace had a hole dug up just large enough to fit the body down inside it. 

"Should we say a few words? You know. Like they do at real funerals?" Clary asked. 

"I don't want to hear any of that bible bullshit here," Jace groaned. 

"Clary's right. We need to pay our respects." Alec got to his feet and sighed heavily through the pain in his shoulder. "It doesn't have to be from the bible word for word. It can be just random stuff off the top of our heads."

Jace shrugged. "Okay. I can do that."

After Max's body was placed in the grave, no one was sure who was supposed to go first. They glanced at each other for several minutes in hopes that someone would speak up. 

"Maybe the youngest should go first?" Magnus suggested. 

Clary snorted. "Age before beauty."

This made Magnus snap. "I knew I should've dug a second hole-"

"Hey!" Alec yelled over the noise. "Are you seriously arguing at a funeral?! Especially a kid's?"

The group fell instantly silent. 

"I'll say something if no one else will," Alec spoke again. "Unless one of you does have something to say after all?" When no one said a word, Alec cleared his throat and began.

"Max was a good kid. Even before this all happened, he was a good kid. He loved to run around and play in the backyard. He always made us laugh when we were feeling down. He was the best brother anyone could ever ask for."

Isabelle sniffled and wiped the tears that were running down her face. Jace remained stoic, face emotionless as Alec continued to give his speech. 

"After our parents died, Max changed. We all did in a way, but Max more so than the rest of us. He grew up really fast and I regret not slowing down and teaching him how to be a kid and not a....warrior."

Alec cleared his throat, unable to keep going. When he felt fingers loop through his, he looked down expecting Isabelle's hand to be wrapped around his. But it wasn't Isabelle. 

It was Magnus. 

Magnus squeezed Alec's hand in reassurance. When Alec glanced up at him, he smiled softly and nodded for him to continue. 

"We'll miss you, little man," Alec whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. But you're in a better place now. Probably with all the comics in the world surrounding you."

The group chuckled at this. Max did love his comic books. 

"So....goodbye, buddy. We love you." Alec picked up a handful of dirt and sprinkled it over Max's body. The rest of the group followed suit and did the same to pay their respects. Then they buried the body with the shovels. 

After the small funeral, they headed back up to the apartment to pack their things. Seeing how there was a good chance that Valentine's men were still out there, they needed to move on. It was also getting too cold to stay in a place where there was no way to warm themselves up. 

Alec was in the bedroom changing his bandage when Jace knocked on the door. 

"Hey. Can we talk?" He asked. 

Alec nodded. "Sure. Come on in. Just shut the door behind you."

Jace entered the room. He looked uneasy and nervous. "Look. I was a real asshole to you outside when you didn't deserve it."

"You were mad," Alec nodded. "It's understandable. You saw me pushing our dead brother in a shopping cart. I'd be pretty pissed too if I saw you do the same."

Jace forced a laugh. "Alec. Seriously. I'm sorry for the way I reacted. What you did for Max....by going out there and bringing him back to be properly buried....Izzy and I would've never done that. And he's our brother too."

Alec raised a hand to cut him off. "Jace. It's fine. I'm not mad at you. Or anyone for that matter. I treated you like shit too. So it cancels out what you did."

The brothers walked towards each other and embraced in a burly hug. At one point during the hug, Alec swore he heard Jace let out a sob but didn't say anything as he kept cradling his younger brother in his arms. 

When they finally pulled apart, Jace wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. "So....what happens next? Where do we go from here?"

Alec sighed. "I literally have no idea. Wish I had a plan of some sort but I don't. Here I am supposed to be a leader." He snorted in ridicule. "Some leader I am, huh?"

Jace placed a hand on Alec's good shoulder. "Wherever you go, we'll follow. As long as we're all together."

He left Alec to finish packing up. It felt strange, having the group still looking up to him considering everything they went through. Alec almost expected them to disband and go their separate ways but that wasn't the case. Even after Max's death, they still turned to him for guidance and protection. 

"You almost ready in there?" Isabelle called out from the kitchen. "We're not in a hurry or anything. Just wondering."

"Just finishing up now," Alec called back. He slung the backpack over his good shoulder before stepping out of the bedroom. He took one look back at the room; at the bloodstained mattress, the white walls and musty old pillow. Another memory of the past. Just another nightmare to put behind him. 

Magnus reached for the strap of the backpack over Alec's shoulder. "Let me carry that for you. You're still wounded and weak."

"Wounded, yes. Weak...." Alec sighed as he saw the look on Magnus' face. "Fine. You'll probably bother me until I say yes anyway."

"Excellent choice," Magnus smirked. He took the bag from Alec and swung it over his own shoulders. "I was doing some thinking while packing up. Maybe we should stock up on some warm clothes? The cold weather is just around the corner and all we have to wear is Fall clothing."

"He's right," Clary nodded in agreement. "Plus I think Isabelle's catching a cold."

"I'm fine," Isabelle retorted. As she said this, she coughed violently. "It's just a tickle in my throat. Like dust or something."

"It literally sounds like you're choking on your own lungs," Simon pointed out. "We should try and find medicine too. Not just for you but for all of us. Maybe even some painkillers for Alec's shoulder too."

"Never mind me. Let's focus on Izzy first. We can't afford to catch a cold. Especially not without medicine." Alec swung his quiver over his shoulders so it was resting comfortably on his back. "Does anyone know where we can find a clothing store with winter wear?"

They made their way through downtown Brooklyn, peering in through all the store windows to see what was inside. Quite a few of them were clothing stores but most of them were stocked with summer clothes, which was what the season was when the outbreak first started. None of the stores had a chance to put their winter wear up. 

"We could always wear extra layers," Simon whispered as they passed an electronic store. "We've all done that at some point. Right?"

"Extra layers will only slow us down. What if we need to run?" Jace hissed over his shoulder. 

Alec stopped suddenly, causing everyone behind him to crash into his back. He'd stopped in front of a store that sold only winter clothing. The front of the store showcased winter hats and jackets on mannequins but he could only imagine what was inside just waiting to be taken. 

"This is it. This is what we're looking for!" He said excitedly. "Go in quietly. There could be Forsaken inside. Jace and Simon will take the rear. Magnus and I will lead. Ladies will wait here-"

"Like fuck I'm waiting out here in the cold," Isabelle snapped. She whipped out her blade and shoved Alec out of the way. "I can handle myself, thank you very much. I don't constantly need protection."

"Same with me," Clary agreed. "Alec and Magnus will take the rear. Jace and Simon will wait outside."

The men, stunned to the point where they were speechless, watched as the women headed inside and cleared the area. Turns out that there were no zombies inside and the place was theirs for the taking. Being the last ones to go in, Jace and Simon shut the doors and put a small barricade in front of it to prevent anything from coming in. 

"Oh, faux fur!" Isabelle squealed. She ripped a coat off its hanger and draped it across her shoulders. "I make this coat look so good! Do you think I can run with this on me?"

"I wouldn't risk it," Alec grumbled. "Everyone find something to wear and take. Make sure it fits. You know the rules."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "There's rules?"

Alec nodded. "Yeah. No loose clothing. It only makes you an easier target for Forsaken to grab you with."

The boys went into the men's section while the girls checked out their side of the store. If they found something they wanted, they went to the dressing room to try it on. 

Alec found a shirt that retained heat and blocked out the cold so he went to the dressing room and tried it on. He carefully peeled off the shirt he was wearing, aware of the bandage on his shoulder. As he grabbed the shirt to try it on, he paused to look at himself in the mirror. 

As he looked himself over, he wasn't the slightest bit aware that Magnus was watching him from the changing room across the hall. He didn't want to watch Alec. In fact, he even tried to look away at one point. But it was impossible to keep his eyes off the black haired man as he ran a hand over his body, seemingly examining it for whatever purpose. 

Magnus could see the broad expanse of back, the muscle shifting under Alec's skin as he moved. His shoulders were broad and powerful looking despite the weight he carried around with him all the time. As he turned to look over his shoulder at his reflection, Magnus had to bite down hard on his lip to keep from making a noise. He only saw Alec shirtless a few times, but each time still felt like the first time he was ever laying eyes on him. He could see Alec's broad chest which was covered in hair that traveled down his chest and down his navel, disappearing into the waistband of his jeans (which Magnus tried very hard not to think about). Some of his ribs showed due to improper eating, as did his abdominal muscles, but he was still in good shape all things considered. Magnus could also see the V of Alec's hips and the flat span of skin between them, the small patch of hair that trailed down from his belly button causing Magnus' train of thought to spiral in a direction he didn't want to go in-

"Hey," Jace's voice cut through his thoughts. "You finished in here?"

Magnus cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I'm done. This shirt's too small. Going to go get another one."

Jace cocked his head. He glanced behind him towards Alec's change room and then look back at Magnus. "You like my brother, don't you?"

"What?" Magnus snorted. "No. Absolutely not. He just never closed the door to his change room. That's all."

Jace winked. "Neither did you."

Magnus flushed and raced out to the store again to get a bigger size shirt. By the time he came back, Alec was dressed in his new clothes, much to his disappointment. But he looked good in his new outfit. Warm. Comfortable. 

"Are the ladies almost finished?" Alec asked him. 

"Who knows. You know what women are like when they shop," Magnus chuckled. "You look really good. That material is known for keeping the cold out."

Alec smiled crookedly. "That's why I chose it. I get cold quickly. Always have been that way. Max always used to crawl into bed with me. But now that he's gone...." 

They heard Isabelle giggle as she and Clary approach from the other side of the store. They both had their new outfits on and were walking like runway models. 

"So? How do we look?" Isabelle spun around in a circle. 

"Warm," laughed Alec. "Looks like you two had fun over there."

Clary giggled. "I haven't felt this good in a long time. It almost feels like old times when I used to go shopping with my mom."

"Except we can take this stuff for free," Simon chimed it. He was bundled so much that he could hardly walk. 

"You look like a marshmallow," Magnus smirked. "Why so many layers?"

"It wouldn't all fit in my bag!" Simon whined. "Besides. These jackets are too good to not leave behind. Have you seen the price tags to all this stuff?"

Everyone rolled their eyes just as Jace finished zipping up in the dressing room. He stepped out, took one look at Simon, and said "You look like a marshmallow."

They all laughed including Simon, and for a moment everything felt normal again.


	20. The Institute

It was pure luck that they found their clothing when they did. Not long after they left the store, the wind picked up and it started to hail so hard that it stung their faces, despite the fact that they wore scarves and hats to protect them from the biting cold. 

"We need to find shelter!" Jace called out over the roaring wind. 

"I won't argue with you there!" Alec called back. "Should we just hole up in a store for now?"

"Too dangerous!" Magnus yelled. "Head to one of the office buildings! There's a good chance that there's food and water in them!"

Magnus had a point. Most people don't scavenge through office buildings because they think there's nothing but machines and paperwork in them but some of Alec's greatest finds came directly from offices themselves. Energy bars, boxes of water, clothes and other supplies were just some of the treasures that he found over the years. They were gold mines just waiting to be excavated. 

They filed into a tall building that was once a law firm back in the day. Strewn across the front lobby were mostly papers and a few opened briefcases that blew with the wind as they entered the building. As they shut the doors behind them, it suddenly became eerily quiet as the papers landed to the floor and stopped moving. 

"Well. This isn't creepy at all," Simon whispered. "Is anyone else getting chills but not from the cold?"

"I am," Clary shuddered. "I remember this building. My mom delivered a painting here once when I was a kid. In fact, that's the painting right there."

There behind the front desk was a beautiful painting of a knight riding a white horse. The knight held a shining sword above his head while leading an army behind him. 

"It's beautiful," Isabelle breathed. "Your mom was an incredible painter."

Clary smiled. "She was. This was one of her favorite pieces. She said the knight represented Justice and the army behind him were the people who stand for Justice. She was a firm believer in the American Justice System."

"As shitty as it was," Jace mumbled under his breath. This earned himself a smack from his sister. "But overall it's a beautiful work of art. That's the main thing."

Alec tapped Jace on the shoulder. "I don't mean to interrupt your art session here but I need you to help me scout up ahead to make sure there's nothing here. Elevators are obviously down so we'll have to take the stairs. Magnus, can you stay here with Simon and the ladies?"

Magnus nodded. "Sure. Shout if you need anything. We'll be able to hear you. If I can hear Simon's erratic heartbeat then I'll definitely hear your shouts."

Weapons raised, Jace and Alec went ahead to see if they were alone or not. Along with the main lobby, there were several smaller offices that probably housed the lower paid employees or office supplies. Alec couldn't tell. Every room they checked looked the same; papers everywhere, chairs tipped over as if people knocked them down in a panic. There were even tables up against some of the windows to bar them off from the hallway. The entire place was chaos. 

"Whoever was here before certainly left in a hurry," Jace whispered as they passed a tipped over copy machine. 

"Wouldn't you if you worked here and the world ended all of a sudden? I sure as fuck wouldn't stick around." Alec ducked under some electrical wiring that hung from the ceiling. "I doubt anybody stayed here longer than they needed to. Maybe a few of them here and there but they probably wanted to be home where it felt safer."

"I guess you have a point," Jace shrugged. "Still. They left the place in a mess. Just look at this. This file is from 2010. Percival Hawkblue. Persecuted for beating his wife and then killing her. This should be locked up someplace safe. Not laying on the floor for everyone to read."

Alec took a look at the file before closing it. "It doesn't matter now. There's no justice system anymore. Hasn't been for years. Same with laws and the government. Everything and anything is legal-"

The door beside them rattled, prompting both men to quickly raise their guns. Groans could be heard from inside and shadows passed the window. The blinds were closed so they couldn't see inside and whatever was inside couldn't see them. 

"It's locked from the outside. The key is still in the lock," Jace pointed at the door. "Grab it. It could be the master key."

Weapon still raised, Alec slowly crept his way toward the door. It rattled even more now so whatever was inside was fully aware that he and Jace were just outside their little prison. 

"If anything breaks out, I got your back," Jace hissed. 

"My back?! You should have my front, you idiot. That's what they'll go for first."

Jace rolled his eyes. "Just get the keys. The longer we stand here, the more time we waste."

Flipping him the middle finger, Alec slowly reached out and took the key from out of the lock. Once it was out, he backed up quickly. He wasn't sure exactly what to expect; he almost thought something would break out and attack but that wasn't the case. The growls continued but the door remained locked and the window unbroken. 

"That was easy," Jace chuckled. 

Alec glared at him. "Speak for yourself. 'I got your back'? Are you kidding me?"

Jace watched as Alec walked away. He made a face of confusion as he followed behind his older brother. "What did I say? I had your back. I only meant that if anything happened, I'd save you."

Magnus was sitting in the computer chair at the front desk when they returned. He ceased spinning and got to his feet. "So? Are we clear?"

Alec nodded. "For the most part. We passed a locked office door with a few Forsaken inside but they seem to be secured in there. Also," he pulled out the key and jingled it with a smile, "it looks like we got a master key."

Clary looked at the key in Alec's hand. "How do you know it's the master key?"

"It says on the key itself. Strange though. How it's just out here in the open like this." Simon took the key and examined it. "I've made some copies of keys in my lifetime and this isn't an original. The original master key would either be up in the big boss's office or in the janitorial room." He looked up from the key to see that everyone was looking at him. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What were you making copies of keys for, Simon Lewis?" Isabelle wiggled her eyebrows. 

Simon blushed. "No-nothing. I kept losing the key to my front door so I made extra copies just in case. What's wrong with taking a few precautions?"

Taking the key from Simon's hand, Alec led the way upstairs. "I think the fourth floor should be fine to stay in for now. It's not exactly near the top floor or too close to the bottom. It's just right in case we need to make a run for it. Any complaints?"

Everyone shook their heads. They continued to make their way to the fourth floor in silence, listening for anything that didn't seem right for a supposedly empty building. So far all they heard were the hailstones that pelted down on the building.

The conference room they chose to stay in was empty as Alec pushed open the large door and ushered them inside. A long black table rest in the center along with many chairs surrounding it. There was a projector resting on the table, untouched, but that wasn't what caught the group's eyes. 

There on the chalkboard written in messy words was "We are all dead".

"You just had to pick the fourth floor, didn't you?" shuddered Simon. "Can we pick a different room that doesn't have cryptic writing on the walls?"

"This is the biggest room on this floor. Plus if we flip the tables on their sides we can place them against the glass window and sleep behind them. That way anything passing by won't see us." Alec placed his backpack on the floor with a sigh. "I can't move the tables so you guys will have to do it."

Once the tables were moved against the window, they scrounged around to see if there were any supplies worth taking. Clary found the kitchen and brought back a few cans of meatballs, peas and soup. Simon rigged up a heater using the projector and a small generator Jace found in the supply closet. Alec, on the other hand, had shrugged off his shirt to let Magnus check his stitching on his shoulder. 

"You tore them open again," Magnus tutted. "I'm not made of bandages and stitches, you know."

Alec groaned. "Sorry. I'm not going to stop just because there's a hole in my shoul-AH!" The veins in his hand and arm bulged as he made a fist to fight through the pain of Magnus stitching him back up. "Son of a....god. Do we have any more booze?"

"Nope. Just grin and bear it, tough guy. At least the pain lets you know you're alive."

Alec looked up into Magnus' eyes at this. The other man had the same idea and was looking right back into Alec's eyes, a chocolate brown gaze holding a hazel one. Neither of them moved. Neither of them breathed. It was as if time itself stopped completely and it was only the two of them in the room. Nobody else existed except them. 

"Fuck," Magnus swore. 

Alec was finally able to look away. "What? What's wrong?"

Magnus shook his head. "I didn't use green stitching."

A low grinding sound from the makeshift heater brought their attention from each other to Simon. The young man was adjusting his invention with a screwdriver that Jace brought back along with a toolbox filled with other tools. 

"Didn't mean to interrupt sexy time!" Simon snickered. "If you two want to snuggle to stay warm instead of using my cool new gadget here, I'll totally understand."

"Shut up Simon," Alec grumbled. If Magnus hadn't been watching carefully, he would've missed the small flicker of a grin that passed across Alec's face. 

"Everyone good in here?" Jace entered the room carrying several blankets and cans of food. Isabelle followed behind him with books in her arms. 

"Bit of light reading?" Magnus nodded toward the books. 

She shook her head. "Not really. We could burn the pages if Simon's new toy here dies on us anytime soon."

Simon blinked. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Good to know my inventions are loved and appreciated."

Isabelle just stroked his hair off his forehead and smiled sweetly. "What do we have for food? I'm starving."

Jace counted the cans. "It's not much but we can probably ration the food if we're careful. Hope everyone likes meatballs, gravy and peas."

They ate in silence as the heater continued to warm the room. The generator sputtered but a kick from Simon managed to get it going again. Apart from the low hum of the makeshift heater, everything was quiet on their floor. 

"So....I know I asked this before but I just want to double check." Jace looked over at Alec with sad eyes. "You have a plan, right? You know where we're going?"

Now everyone was looking at him. This put Alec on the spot as he tried to find a reasonable answer to give his group a confidence boost. "I'm trying my best here. Our main goal now is to find supplies and a safe place to call shelter. I'd hole up here but we don't know if there's any more Forsaken on any of the other floors."

"He has a point," Magnus agreed. "Even if we decided to clear the other floors, that could take days. Maybe even weeks."

"So what if it did?" Jace leaned forward, hands ready for a debate. "At least we know we have a place to stay. Sure it's a little chilly but we have Simon here to cook us up inventions when we need it."

"So I'm just here for when you actually need me, am I?" Simon yelled. "Good to fucking know!"

The group started yelling at each other, Alec not included. He sat leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, trying to tune out their voices. But the more they yelled, the more it got on his nerves and bothered him. 

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone fell silent at the sound of Alec yelling over them. His voice was loud and deep, dripping with authority. Once everyone was quiet, he spoke again but in a more softer voice this time.

"Simon. Jace didn't mean anything with what he said. I doubt any of us would still be alive today if it weren't for your inventions."

Simon blushed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Look....I'm trying. Okay? I'm trying to keep us safe and alive and fed but there's only so much I can do. Wounded or not, I can't do everything by myself. You're going to have to pull some weight around here too."

Alec took a shuddering breath to steady himself. He saw Magnus reach out and place a reassuring hand on his good shoulder, squeezing gently. 

"We'll pull our weight," Magnus whispered. "A leader isn't a leader without their followers after all. If there's anything you need just tell us. We'll do it."

Alec let out a tired sigh but smiled softly. "Thanks. Now let's get some sleep. I know it's not dark yet but we're all exhausted and we need our strength. How long can that heater run for?"

Simon tapped his contraption with a finger. "Hypothetically? It could give out at any moment. It was a spur of the moment invention so there's no definite expiration-oh. There it goes."

The heater died, the soft humming coming from the generator slowing to a complete stop like a jogger slowing down from a run. 

"Well then. Guess we're cuddling up tonight," Jace shrugged. Clary giggled beside him as she leaned in closer to him, causing him to grin. 

When Isabelle leaned into Simon, Alec and Magnus glanced at each quickly before clearing their throats in unison. 

"Do you need a blanket? Jace found some earlier," offered Magnus. 

"No. No," Alec shook his head. "I should be-I should be good. But thanks anyway. Who's taking first watch? I'd do it but I'm exhausted."

Magnus raised a hand. "I'll do it. I'm used to only running on a few hours sleep anyway. You guys get some rest. I'll wake you up if anything happens."

So that was the end of that conversation. When everyone was huddled up in their sleeping bags and blankets and had finally fallen asleep, Magnus sat watch with his back against the wall opposite to the glass window. He held his gun close to him as he watched the hallway with alert eyes. It was only when he heard a small moan did he switch his gaze to the people sleeping across from him. 

Alec was sleeping fitfully inside his sleeping bag, shivering from the cold or from a dream Magnus was unsure. When he moaned again, he tossed onto his wounded shoulder, a look of pain flashing across his face. 

Magnus bit his lip. He hated seeing Alec in so much pain. It didn't help that his brother had died not even a day before and got shot the day before that. There was so much weight on Alec's shoulders that Magnus wanted to take some of that weight and carry it for him. But the most he could right now is be there for Alec. And maybe cover him up with another blanket. 

Crawling over to Alec, Magnus opened another blanket and spread it over the sleeping man. Alec relaxed almost immediately, his shivering easing up as he settled down into his sleeping bag. 

Magnus smiled to himself. He even brushed a strand of dirty black hair off Alec's forehead with a finger, much to his mind's protest. He didn't want to become attached to Alec. He wasn't looking for love. Especially not in a society like today. Life was too short and he had to look out for #1, aka himself. There was no time to be worried about someone else. Trying to protect yourself was hard enough-

There was a noise from the hallway. Magnus ducked and found himself gave to face with Alec. Their noses were so close that if he even leaned in another inch, their lips would be touching. 

Get a grip Magnus, Magnus thought to himself. Now was not the time to thinking about kissing the beautiful man that was inches away in front of him. 

The door to the conference room slowing opened. Footsteps entered the room. Magnus slowly pulled himself closer to Alec, not daring to turn around to see who or what came into their safe place. He did, however, grip his gun tighter to his chest and readied his muscles to whip around to shoot the intruder. 

When he clicked a round into the chamber, he could see the intruder jump in fright and raise their hands in the air in surrender. At least he knew that it wasn't a zombie. Forsaken didn't surrender. 

"Don't shoot!" The intruder squeaked. They sounded young and when Magnus got a good look at them, they looked to be about 15 or 16 years old. Wearing a tattered old winter jacket and a wool hat, the intruder reached up and pulled off the hat from their head to reveal faded dyed red hair. 

"Don't shoot," the young girl whispered. "Please. I only want to talk."

Magnus eyed the girl. She had a thick English accent and obviously wasn't from the United States. "What's your name?"

"K-Keeley," the girl stuttered. "I don't mean you or your group any harm. I was watching you earlier at the clothing store. Followed you here and thought you'd be good candidates."

"Candidates? You better explain yourself before I get trigger excited," Magnus said as he lift the gun higher. 

Keeley nodded. "Right. Okay. You might want to wake up your group. They'll want to hear this too."

Magnus did as he was told, shaking everyone awake. When he got around to Alec, his heart thudded faster when a tired pair of hazel eyes blinked sleepily back up at him. "Alec. We....have a guest. She wants to talk to us about something."

"What?" Alec croaked, his voice deeper than usual and laced with sleep. "What's going on here?"

He sat up in his sleeping bag to get a better look at their guest. Keeley waved as he laid eyes on her, a scrutinizing look on his face. 

"Now that we're all awake, I guess I should start talking," she chuckled. "Okay. Right. So my name is Keeley. I'm from a place not far from here and my boss sent me out to find new recruits for our....residence. I think you'll all make nice additions."

"Nice additions? You make it sound like you're collecting people and putting them on display," Jace growled. "How do we even know that we can trust you?"

"You don't," Keeley shook her head. "But why not take a risk? We have food. Shelter. Weapons. We're heavily guarded and we offer jobs to those that come to stay with us. There's something for everyone there."

The group glanced at Alec expectantly. He sighed heavily. "No offence but the last place we stayed was against our will and belonged to a psychopath. He murdered my little brother."

Keeley bowed her head. "My condolences. It's tough losing someone. I lost my best friend not long ago and it still hurts to think about her. But this is an opportunity of a lifetime. How often is someone going to come along and extend an olive branch?"

She had a point. Alec knew they were struggling enough now as it was. If he made the choice to stay put, they would more than likely starve to death or die from the cold. If they followed this stranger to wherever place she was talking about, there was a good chance they could survive just a bit longer. 

"Fine. We'll go. But if I feel that we're at risk or put in a dangerous situation, we're leaving immediately. Is that clear?" Alec put the full force of his gaze on Keeley to make sure she knew that he meant business. 

"Loud and clear. We should moving. Now, in fact. Those Forsaken on the first floor kinda broke through the glass window and are wandering about. But we can take the side entrance to get out." Keeley got to her feet and clapped her gloved hands together. "Bundle up. It's nipply out there."

They collected whatever gear and supplies they had and followed the teen downstairs to a side entrance as she mentioned. She wasn't kidding about the Forsaken breaking through their prison. Alec could hear them wandering around the hallway on the first floor and was thankful they didn't have to go that way. 

"So why were you the one that got sent out to recruit people?" Simon asked once they were outside. It had stopped hailing and the wind died down somewhat but it was still cold enough for them to see their breath. 

"I thought that was obvious," Keeley snorted. "I'm small. Which means I'm fast and I can get to places that most people can't. Besides. If it wasn't for your handsome scruffy friend over here, I couldn't easily snuck in and took some of your supplies without being heard."

Magnus scratched his chin. "Well I am kind of getting scruffy."

"You can shave when we get to The Institute. We have hot water and showers so you can wash off all that dirt-"

"Wait. Did you say Institute? Like a....mental institution?" Clary barely whispered. 

"No. Nothing like that. The Intitute is a society of humans that are working together to rebuild humanity. That means planting crops, farming animals, repopulating the earth. That sort of thing."

At the mention of repopulating the earth, Jace nudged Clary and winked. Alec caught sight of this and gagged. 

"How come we've never heard of this Institute?" Isabelle called out from the back of the group. She coughed, prompting Alec to rush back and wrap a blanket around her shoulders. 

"We're pretty low key for the most part. We only let in those who we think will make a nice contribution to our goal. Like Tiny over here. He builds stuff. We can benefit from that."

"Tiny?!" Simon sputtered. "I'm a solid 5'10. That's average height for a male."

Keeley shrugged. "Whatever. We're almost there. Just around the corner."

As the group made the turn around a coffee shop, they were surprised to be greeted by what looked like a very large church surrounded by a tall steel wall. As Keeley whistled, the gates in front of them opened up and they were led inside by armed guards. 

"Like I said. We're heavily guarded here. Nothing gets in or out without us knowing. Follow me. Let's go meet the boss lady."

Inside the church was a different story. Where it looked small on the outside, the inside was absolutely humongous. The ceiling looked like it touched the sky, with angels holding swords painted on them. The walls were made of dark oak and lined with computers. Actual working computers. Simon had to be dragged away from them as they made their way down a long hallway. 

Keeley knocked on a door. "Boss? I found a group. I think you'll want to talk to them."

A voice answered from inside. "Bring them in. I'll decide whether or not they're good enough."

Keeley opened the door and ushered Alec and his group to follow her inside. Behind a large wooden desk sat a woman with high cheekbones and blonde hair tied back in a tight ponytail. She smiled tightly as the group stood before her. 

"Welcome to The Insititute. I'm Lydia Branwell. Leader of this place. You are?"

Alec stood with his back straight and arms behind his back. "I'm Alec Lightwood. These are my siblings Isabelle and Jace. This is Clary Fray. Simon Lewis. And Magnus Bane."

Lydia nodded to each of them. "Pleasure to meet you all. It's rare for Keeley to find a group as big as yours. Usually she finds a pair or a single. Excellent find, Keeley. Would you do me a favor and fetch my head of security? I have concerns about the northern warehouse."

Keeley nodded. "Okay. Be right back."

As she left the office, Alec cleared his throat. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but what's a 15 year old doing out on the streets by herself? She can get killed."

"Keeley is one of my brightest students. She's smart and capable. She's also 16, by the way. She can handle herself." Lydia got to her feet and stood beside Alec, looking him up and down. She was a foot or more shorter than him but exuded an authoritative presence. "You look strong. Do you have any talents of any sort? Gifts?"

"I used to be a scavenger back in my old home. Most us here did, actually. Though Simon is a really gifted inventor. He can make you a generator with a stick of gum and tin foil."

Simon laughed. "I'm no MacGyver but I get by."

Lydia nodded before turning to Magnus. "And what about you?"

Magnus beamed. "You asked if I had any gifts?" He indicated his body. "You're looking at it. I'm a gift. With a gorgeous face like this, it's impossible not to love me right away."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that she wasn't impressed. "You'll bunk in the dungeon for now until we can find a more suitable place to put you. For now, take a hot shower and enjoy a hot meal. You'll be debriefed in the morning."

They were dismissed after that, being led down to what looked exactly a dungeon in every sense of the word. When they laid their supplies down, Simon's head shot up in realization. 

"Hold on. Did she say....a hot meal?"

Isabelle nodded. "I think she did."

And with that, they all scrambled back upstairs; practically climbing over each other in hopes to be the first one to get their first hot meal in what felt like forever.


	21. Bonus Material

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is NOT a full length chapter. It's just some bonus content I wanted to share with you readers. Enjoy!

Hello friendly readers. You probably haven't wondered "I wonder what Kersten listens to when she writes this story". Well I'm glad you haven't. What I'm about to share with you is my "soundtrack" I created specifically for this story. It consists of awesome apocalypse music that suits both the story itself and Malec. And because I'm lame and don't know how to create hyperlinks on ao3, I'll just post the name of the song and who sings it. 

1) Area by Magnus the Magnus

2) Back In Black - AC/DC

3) Bad Company - Five Finger Death Punch

4) Bring Me Back To Life - Extreme Music (this is the channel I found the song on YouTube)

5) Hearing Damage - Thom Yorke

6) Heavy In Your Arms - Florence + The Machine

7) The Other Side - Ruelle

8) Part That's Holding On - Red

9) Run Boy Run - Woodkid

10) Silent Running - Hidden Citizens

11) Still Alive - Mt Eden

12) Until We Go Down - Ruelle

13) Wide Eyed - Billy Lockett

14) Where Do We Go From Here - Ruelle


	22. Faster, Better, Stronger

"Is this....spaghetti?!" Isabelle squealed in excitement. 

As they lined up in what was supposed to be a cafeteria, the food that was being served ranged from potatoes and some kind of meat, spaghetti, and mac and cheese. Alec nearly drooled at the sight of it all. His stomach even gave a deep rumble in agreement with his mouth. 

"You can choose one of the three," the cook behind the counter told them. "You also only get one plate. No seconds."

"I'm fine with that. Just as long as I get a warm meal in my belly," chirped Simon. He chose the potatoes and meat (which they discovered was veal). 

Isabelle chose the spaghetti. "I can't even remember the last time I had spaghetti let alone a hot meal."

"I'm with you on that," Alec said as he chose a plate of mac and cheese. "Don't forget that we have a hot shower to look forward to after we eat. That's a bonus after the shitty day we've had up until now."

They sat down to eat their meal. Nobody seemed too bothered by their presence, seeing how they were newcomers, so they were allowed to eat peacefully. It didn't take long for them to inhale everything on their plates. They just wished they could have more. 

"Holy. Sweet. Jesus. That was the meal I've had in years," Jace said through a burp. 

"Agreed. The veal was," Simon kissed his fingers Italian style, "delicious."

Before they could get up to bring their trays to the return bin, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes approached their table. He had a smile on his face as he introduced himself, also sporting an English accent. 

"Hello. You must be the new group. I'm Sebastian Verlac. Head of security here at The Institute." He shook each of their hands. "I trust your meal was adequate?"

"More than adequate," Magnus responded. "Are the meals like that everyday?"

Sebastian chuckled. "Only on Fridays. We like to end a hard week with something special for the people who work here. As a way of saying thanks." He pointed to the empty chair beside them. "May I have a moment of your time? I won't keep you long. I know you must be excited about a hot shower."

He took a seat beside them, opening a binder that he'd been carrying in his hands. There were papers inside with something written on them, but Alec couldn't tell what it was. As they were each handed a sheet, he could finally see that the words were a list of available job positions. 

"Lydia has asked me to give you our current open job positions. Most of them will provide training if needed but we highly recommend choosing one that suits any talents or background experience you might have had in the past."

Alec scanned the list. Mechanic. Cook. Engineer. Doctor. Nothing on the list appealed to him. He wanted to be a scavenger. It was one of the things he knew for certain that he was good at. 

"She'll need a decision by 9 am sharp tomorrow morning. So take a shower, relax and sleep on it tonight. Pick wisely," Sebastian told them, "because we don't normally let people jump from job to job. We don't have the resources or the time." He paused, eying them all carefully. "Do you have any questions?"

When no one said a word, Sebastian rose from the table with a quick goodbye and left the cafeteria. A moment later a guard came in and led the group to the shower rooms. They were co-ed showers but Alec was relieved to see stall doors that they could close once they were inside. 

"We laid out some clothes in the change room. The sizes vary but hopefully there's something there that fits you guys." The guard nodded curtly. "Enjoy your shower."

Enjoy it they did. Jace let out a whoop of joy as soon as the hot water touched his skin. Magnus started singing an old Lady Gaga song, the girls joining in with fits of laughter. Simon danced in his stall, slipping once or twice but getting right back up to dance again. 

Alec just stood in his stall with his head down, hands on the wall above him and letting thewater run down over his body. He wasn't sure how long he was standing there; it wasn't until he felt a stabbing pain in his shoulder when hot water got inside his bandage did he turn off the shower and wrap a towel around his waist. Everyone else was already finished and in the change room picking out clothes.

"You feeling alright? You didn't say much while you were in the shower," said Magnus. He was just slipping on a shirt when Alec walked in with a towel around his waist. Everyone else was already dressed and waiting outside in the hallway. 

"I didn't realize I was supposed to. Too busy enjoying the hot water I guess." Alec sorted through the clothes with a frown. There were a pair of boxers his size, but the largest pair of jeans were a size too small for him. The biggest shirt they had was a medium so it was going to be a tight squeeze. 

"No I know. But it just seemed like you were distant or something. Is something wrong?" Magnus looked away as Alec pulled his boxers on under his towel. 

"No. I'm just wondering what the hell I'm going to tell that Lydia lady in the morning about the jobs. There's none there that appeals to my strengths. I'm not a cook or a doctor. I'm a strategist, if anything. A leader."

"Then tell her. Wouldn't hurt to speak up, right? She might even let you join the suicide squad if you pick your words wisely." Magnus glanced over his shoulder and saw that Alec was now fully dressed. "Those jeans don't fit you very well."

"You think I don't know that already?" Alec cringed as he adjusted the waistband. "They're tight and short. So is the shirt. I'll have to get them to find some bigger clothes for me. I'm not exactly short."

Magnus had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as Alec tugged at the hem of his shirt to hide his hips. "We can do that another time. For now, let's get a layout of the place so we won't get lost in case of an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?"

"An emergency is an emergency, isn't it?"

Alec couldn't argue with that logic.

Out in the hallway, the group was taken on a tour around the Institute. It truly was an impressive place; it was rigged to a generator that allowed the place to have security cameras around the building. This must've used up the generator quickly but it was still amazing to see. 

What really blew Alec's mind was that they had several outposts in the city that allowed them to transport supplies back and forth whenever they needed them. There were seven warehouses, as they were all told. They were all named One through Seven. There was one for weapons, two for food and water, one for clothes, one for cars and other transportation, and the last two were supposedly "confidential". This raised some red flags for Alec. 

"What do you mean by confidential?" Magnus asked the woman giving the tour. "What are you hiding that you don't want people to know about?"

The woman shot him a look. "It means it's top secret. Only those with the highest level access knows what goes on in Warehouse 6 and 7."

As she turned to continue the tour, Magnus leaned in to Alec's ear and whispered so that no one else could hear what was being said. 

"My guess is that whatever's in those warehouses can't be anything good," he said in a low voice. 

"What do you recommend we do?" Alec whispered back. 

Magnus shook his head. "I'll think of something. Let's just play their little game for now."

Alec didn't think of it as a game. This was life or death. Either the contents that were being kept secret were good or they were bad. He sent a silent prayer up to whoever was listening that it was good. 

"And that's pretty much what the Institute consists of. If any of you apply for jobs at Warehouses 1 through 5, then you'll get an extended look at what it is we strive to do here." The tour last looked the group over. "Are there any questions?"

Alec raised a hand like a school child. "Is there any room left for an extra scavenger?"

The woman looked Alec up and down. "Was there a position open on the list?"

".....no."

"Then there's none available. That's just how things work here. I'm sorry."

Alec and Magnus glanced at each other before being led back to their sleeping arrangements. Jace and Clary took one room while Simon and Isabelle took another. This left Magnus and Alec no other choice but to bunk together. 

"Hope you don't mind...." Magnus shrugged once they were in their rooms. "I mean....we already slept together once. That was an icebreaker more or less."

"I don't mind....but about that night-" Alec cleared his throat. "I was distressed. I just lost Max and I needed to blow some steam."

Magnus' shoulders sagged. "Right. I get it. I guess that night didn't mean as much to you as it did to me."

"Magnus," Alec groaned. "That's not what I meant. It did mean something to me. It did. I'm just not sure what exactly." He sat down on the bed and pressed his hands to his face. "I've been so focussed on making sure everyone is safe that I never really got a chance to think about...."

Magnus sat down beside him. "Think about us?"

Alec nodded. "I like you, Magnus. I do. But now just isn't the best time to be....with someone. You know?"

A small laugh came from Magnus. "Oh totally. Completely agree with you there. I mean what better feeling is there in the world than suppressing feelings for someone else, right?"

Alec sighed as Magnus shifted on the bed so he was lying down facing the wall. "Magnus. Don't do this." When Magnus didn't answer, Alec changed his tone of voice. "Magnus!"

This finally made turn to face him. "What? I'm tired."

"We all are," said Alec. "But that night we spent together really did mean something to me. I think about it a lot."

Magnus' face lit up. "You do?"

Alec nodded and crawled into bed beside him. "Yes, Magnus. I do. If you hadn't been there when Max died, I don't know what I would've done. I doubt I'd still be alive."

They went quiet for a long time, just staring up at the dark ceiling while laying beside each other on the bed. Every now and then they heard giggling coming from next door, which happened to be Simon and Isabelle's room. Whatever it was that they were doing, it sounded like they were having a good time. 

"Is it too late to apologize for trying to steal your supplies back at Alicante?" Magnus suddenly whispered. 

Alec broke out into a fit of laughter. "That was a long time ago, Magnus. You've made your amends."

"Yeah I know. But I feel back for rendering your arms useless. That wasn't a fair fight."

Alec shrugged. "Maybe we can do it again sometime?"

The pillow shifted as Magnus turned to look at Alec. "What, like wrestle again?"

"Sure. Wrestle. That's what I referring to."

A smirk crossed Magnus' face. "Sure. I'd like that."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Wake up, lovebirds! Breakfast is in five! If you're not up by then, you eat dirt!"

Alec felt Magnus get up from the bed and turned over on his back with a tired groan. The bed was only small and the two of them didn't sleep as well as they would've liked. A twin size bed wasn't made for two grown men that were over 6 feet tall and had broad shoulders. 

"Got any idea what job you're choosing?" Magnus asked, pulling a shirt on over his head. 

"I might ask Lydia about the scavengers. What about you?"

A loud bang on the door startled them. Then a voice rang out "Get up! Ms. Branwell wants to see you all after breakfast and she doesn't like to be kept waiting!"

By the time Alec and Magnus were up and ready, they had already missed breakfast whereas everyone else had some. Isabelle even smelled like fresh bread when she stood next to Alec outside Lydia's office, making his stomach rumble. 

Isabelle heard his stomach and frowned up at her brother. "I'm sorry you missed breakfast. I tried sneaking some bread for you but they wouldn't let me."

"Don't worry about it," Alec told her. "We'll get something later. You probably worked up an appetite last night's bedroom activities with Simon."

Isabelle's face turned red as a beet. "You heard all that?"

Magnus, listening in on the conversation, leaned towards them and whispered, "How could we not? You two acted like the walls were made of steel and not two inch wooden boards."

The door to Lydia's office opened and she stepped out into the hallway. "Good morning, newcomers. How was breakfast?"

Jace, Clary, Simon and Isabelle all said "Delicious" whereas Alec and Magnus remained silent, their stomachs rumbling in response. 

"Well then. Those of you who missed breakfast will get lunch at 12 this afternoon. But for now I need to take you to our examination room for a quick checkup."

Jace scoffed. "A checkup? For what? None of us are infected."

Lydia turned to face him. "We just need to make sure you meet our standards of fitness required for the jobs you've chosen. Also, your brother here has a wounded shoulder. Our doctors here can stitch him up much better than what you have been doing thus far."

Alec nodded in approval. She had a good point. His stitching tore open last night and his bandage was damp with blood once again. Having a professional take a look at his shoulder was probably best for him. 

"If you'll follow me, I'll show you to our examination room now. Our head doctor will take a look at each of you," Lydia signalled the group to follow her and lead the way. "We have the best doctors and nurses that the apocalypse has to offer. It wasn't easy finding them but we're lucky we did. They'll inspect you carefully and make sure you're well taken care of."

The medical facility that was set up looked well put together but lacked the space needed for s big emergency. The room itself was about the size of the lobby of the law firm they holed up in before they were found, which wasn't the biggest but still accommodated a nice few beds and medical equipment.

"Ladies, I'll have to ask you to stand behind this curtain for your examination. Gentlemen, you'll stand on the other side for yours. Doctor Branwell here will do the exams for the men and Doctor Blackthorn will do the ladies."

Alec and the other men gathered behind a curtain that was drawn around them. Doctor Branwell, who Alec assumed was related to Lydia somehow, came around the barrier between the men and women, smiled and offered his hand for them to shake. 

"Good morning, gentlemen. I'm Henry Branwell. I'm Lydia's father and I'll be doing your examinations today so if you'll kindly take your clothes off...."

Magnus coughed a laugh. "Excuse me? Did you just ask us to take off our clothes? Make I ask why?"

Dr. Branwell bowed his head. "We need to do a full body examination just to be sure that none of you were bit or are showing signs of infection-"

"We already told you that we weren't infected," Jace snapped. "Didn't you hear us when we said it?"

"I know. But it's precautionary. We can't risk spreading the disease within the institute walls so I'll ask you again....please remove your clothing."

Alec nudged his brother and nodded. At this signal, Jace gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Magnus and Simon did the same, while Alec was the last to remove his shirt. They each pulled down their jeans, kicking off their shoes and socks. When they were all standing in their underwear, Branwell spoke again. 

"Underwear too, lads."

The men glanced at each other in surprise. Magnus was the one who spoke up. 

"Come on, guys. We're all men here aren't we? Unless you have a secret down below nobody knows about."

Jace snickered. With one swift movement, he looped his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers and slipped them off with ease. "I don't have any secrets. I love my body."

Alec averted his gaze as they dropped their under garments to the floor. He took a deep breath before removing his own, keeping his eyes to the ceiling. 

"This won't take long, boys. Just a quick look over and you'll be good to go...." Branwell circled around them, taking measurements of their shoulders and arms. 

"Try and get handsy and see what happens," Jace growled at him. 

"I won't get handsy," said Branwell. "I'm making sure there's no bites and taking measurements of your upper body. Most of the jobs here require a reasonable amount of upper body strength. I don't recall any of them needing your penis, tough guy."

Alec closed his eyes as he was measured from shoulder to shoulder, hearing a little "Impressive, very impressive," from the Doctor. After a minute or two, Branwell told them they could put their clothes back on again. 

"I'll report your results later today. Right now, my daughter would like a word with you. See you again soon, gentlemen."

"Fuck. I hope not," Jace whispered. "Creepy asshole. I bet he gets off on these examinations." He made air quotes as he said the word "examinations". 

"It's done and over with, Jace. Calm down. Let's just go meet up with the girls and get our jobs." Alec slipped his shirt back on over his head but was stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw a young woman with curly black hair and brown eyes. 

"Alec Lightwood? Lydia told me you have a wound that needs tending to. I'll happily take a look at it for you. Stitch you up nice and clean."

Hesitant at first, Alec eventually took his shirt back off and let the woman peel off his bandage to take a look at his bullet wound. "What's your name?"

"Livvy Blackthorn. I'm one of the nurses here. I mean I'm not really a nurse but I've been training here for the last five years so I guess I'm qualified for the job," Livvy smiled up at him. "How were you shot anyway? Did someone shoot you?"

A flash of Valentine's face appeared in Alec's mind as did the echo of a gunshot. He closed his eyes to rid himself of both memories. "Yes. Someone shot me. Can we change the subject? I'd rather not talk about it."

Livvy nodded in understanding. "I heard from Keeley that you guys were holding up in the old law office. That's pretty risky."

Alec looked at her. "Risky? How?"

She finished stitching his arm and started cleaning the area around the wound. "You don't know about them yet? Even after being out there for so long?"

"Who's them?"

Livvy lowered her voice to a whisper. "I think you should talk to the scavengers about it first. They know more than anyone here. Even Lydia. So if you're thinking about joining them, you should get all your facts from them first. It could save your life."

After she dismissed him, he was led back to Lydia's office. The rest of his group was nowhere to be seen and he was let into her room immediately. 

"Alexander. I see Livvy has you fixed up properly. Have you thought about a job position?" Lydia asked him. She never looked up once from a notebook she was writing in, distracted with whatever she was writing about. 

"I have, actually. I want to be a scavenger." Alec square his shoulders when Lydia finally looked up at him. "It's what I used to do in my old community. I was really good at it. I know where to go and how to find stuff that people need."

Lydia crossed her arms on her desk. "You do realize that scavenger wasn't a position on the list...."

Alec nodded. "I know. But I can't stay here locked up like some kind of animal. I need to be....out there. Doing something useful for both my family and for everyone else here."

Lydia seemed to consider this for a moment before rising from her chair. "You seem capable enough. You're strong. Obviously intelligent. You're a strong leader in the making." She stood beside him and sighed. "Follow me. Our scavenger group just got back a few hours ago. I'll introduce you."

To Alec, this almost seemed too easy. He half expected a heated argument between himself and Lydia but here he was being led to the scavengers like it was no big deal. Something didn't seem right. He wasn't sure what but right now he was just glad he was getting back out into the field again. 

They entered a room filled with stacks of papers and boxes all over the floor. A man was seated at a computer screen, typing furiously while speaking into a walkie talkie. He looked up when the door slammed shut behind Alec, nodding his head in greeting. 

"Hello boss. Just writing up today's reports. Sorry for coming back so late. I know we're not supposed to be out after dark but we got cornered..." The man clicked his tongue. "Nasty motherfuckers get smarter by the day. Who's this?"

Lydia pointed to the man. "Alec this is our head scavenger Meliorn. Meliorn, this is your newest recruit Alec Lightwood. He's interested in going out with you."

Meliorn shot Alec a smirk. "I'm sure he is. You can call me Mel if you like. What made you to be a scavenger? Trying to impress someone?"

Alec scowled. "No. I used to do this line of business in my old community before it got destroyed."

Meliorn chuckled. "Relax. I was just kidding. I assume Lydia brought you here so you can get caught up on the situation?"

Alec raised an eyebrow. "What situation?"

Lydia sighed. "Bring up the video case files, Mel. He needs to see what he's getting himself into."

Alec watched the computer screen as Meliorn opened a file. Inside the folder were numerous videos that all looked to be from a security camera. A video began to play as soon as Meliorn clicked on it. It looked normal at first; Forsaken shuffling around the outside of a building. Normal undead behavior. 

Until it wasn't. 

The heavy door was locked with a lock and chain. One of the Forsaken picked up a somewhat heavy looking rock, shuffled over to the door and began banging on the lock in hopes of it breaking apart. 

Alec leaned forward towards the screen, his face a look of pure shock. "What the fuck is going on? They can't do that!"

"Oh they sure as hell can. And that's not even the worst of it. Last month, my crew set up a trap inside a building that was supposed to lead them in and trigger the lock on the doors but these asshole bypassed it by throwing pieces of debris at it. Triggered it without them even going inside like we hoped they would."

Alec collapsed into a chair, running a hand over his bearded face. "What are you trying to say?"

Meliorn shook his head. "They're getting faster, dude. Better. Stronger. Hell, they're even getting smarter. It's like they're learning. They're evolving."


	23. Warehouse 7

"Where's Alec?"

Magnus stretched his neck and glanced around the crowded cafeteria. Alec was nowhere to be seen. When they had left the examination room, Alec had been right behind them. So unless he had stayed back to get his wound checked, Magnus assumed that's where he was right now.

"Wasn't he getting examined with you guys?" Clary asked as she grabbed a tray. Her face was dirty from taking a tour of the coal room where she'd chosen to work.

"He was. Was it as bad for you ladies as it was for us? Dr. Branwell has Pervert written all over him." Jace shuddered at the thought.

"Livvy was actually really nice. She made us feel comfortable before looking us over," Isabelle told him. "As for our older brother, he's probably getting stitched up properly. He'll catch up with us later when he's ready."

Magnus looked around the room again. Alec missed breakfast earlier and it looked like he was about to miss lunch as well. "Make sure no one's looking, yeah? I'm sneaking some food for Alec."

The group made sure no one was looking as Magnus stuffed some sandwiches into his shirt. It wasn't inconspicuous; the outline of the plastic wrapped food was still visible through the thin material of his shirt.

"You better hope you don't get caught taking that," said a familiar accented voice. Magnus turned to see Keeley standing behind him, eyebrow raised as she reached for a food tray for herself.

"I won't. Unless someone decides to squeal," Magnus retorted. He looked down at his watch and nodded. "Huh. Look at that. You're just in time for tea."

Keeley shot him a look. "So just because I'm British you're going to associate me with tea, are you? You shit faced monkey wanker."

Simon choked back a laugh as did Jace. Clary and Isabelle stared at the teenager with their jaws dropped, shocked that she had such a potty mouth.

Magnus didn't seem too phased by her. "Fair enough-hey. Have you seen Alec anywhere?"

"Alec? You mean tall, dark and handsome? Last I saw he was being led into the room where scavengers plan their routes. Which is surprising, actually. Hardly anyone ever gets recruited unless they're personally sought out."

Magnus' jaw dropped. "Alec got the job? Just like that?"

Keeley grabbed a sandwich for her tray. "You didn't hear this from me. I also didn't see you stealing food."

Magnus smirked. "Smart girl. And I'm not technically stealing. I'm saving some for a friend who missed breakfast this morning. He's probably starving."

Keeley popped a gum in her mouth and said "Aren't we all?" before turning and leaving with her tray of food, flipping Magnus the middle finger as she walked away.

"Charming kid, isn't she? Nice to know teenagers are still angsty little shits," Magnus grumbled. "Let's get some food in us. I'm starving."

They sat at a table to quietly eat. By the time they had taken their last bite, Alec still wasn't with them and it was causing them to worry a little bit. The cafeteria crowd was thinning out as they waited for him to show up but he didn't.

"Where is he?" Jace grumbled.

"Keeley said he was with the scavengers. Maybe they're giving him the rundown of their job?" Isabelle picked up her butter knife and began to carve her name into the table, coughing into her sleeve. "You know Alec. He likes to know all the details and assess the situation before getting involved."

As she continued to cough, Simon pat her on the back and handed her some water. "Come on. I'm taking you to see the doc about your cold. He'll have some medicine for you."

Despite Isabelle's protests, she eventually gave in and allowed herself to be led back to the infirmary. Jace decided to go with them to make sure his sister was okay.

"I have to head back to the coal room. Are you staying here to wait for Alec?" Clary asked Magnus.

"Yeah. I want to see what he has to say about the scavengers here." He smiled as Clary said goodbye and left the cafeteria. By now it was completely empty apart from Magnus himself and the cooks behind the counter. Alec was still nowhere to be found.

After waiting for twenty minutes, Magnus finally rose from the table and made his way out to the hall. People passed by him, talking in hushed voices and passing papers back and forth between them. No one acknowledged him or the suspicious sandwich shaped bulge in the front of his shirt.

"Magnus!" A voice yelled from the other end of the hall. Magnus turned to see Alec jogging towards him, his face pale and distressed. "I was looking all over for you. Where were you?"

"Where was I? Where were you? The group and I already ate-here. Let's go in here to talk," Magnus whispered as he opened a door and peered into the room. It was empty.

When they were inside, Magnus reached inside his shirt and took out the sandwich, his hand outstretched for Alec to take it.

"That was in your shirt?" Alec screwed up his face.

"I smuggled it from the cafeteria. Would you rather I shoved it down my pants instead?" Magnus handed Alec the sandwich. "Eat it. You haven't eaten anything yet today."

Hesitantly, Alec took the sandwich and unwrapped it from its plastic. "Sorry I didn't make it to lunch. I was busy with something."

Magnus nodded. "We know you were talking to the scavengers so you can skip the cryptic answers. Just tell me what they told you."

So that's what Alec did between bites of his food. He told Magnus about how the Forsaken were evolving and getting smarter and how the Insititute were studying their abnormal behavior through cameras set up around the city.

"So apart from the scavenging for supplies, you're also studying these things?" Magnus asked once Alec was done explaining.

"I suppose. It's a good opportunity for me to learn how and why the Forsaken are evolving. We'll be better prepared that way. All of us."

".....but why? That seems like a job for a different group. A scavenging crew hardly seem the type to sit down and take notes as they watch the undead in their habitat."

"I know. But I can't complain. I got the job, didn't I? This way I can learn the routes they take and which ones to avoid." Alec straightened his back. "Think about it, Magnus. If we ever need to make a quick escape-for any reason at all-this is the job for me to get you all out alive and unharmed."

Magnus huffed. He didn't like this one bit but Alec did make a valid point. "Fine. Just....don't try to play hero. Don't risk your neck for these people that we don't even know."

"Noted. Speaking of, where did you decide to work?"

Magnus shrugged. "The warehouse. The agriculture one. I always wanted to have my own farm. This is the closest I'll ever get to becoming a farmer."

Alec smiled at this. "Good. I'm glad you found something you're interested in. What about the rest of the group?"

The doorknob to the room rattled and both men froze. The rattling stopped after a moment, the voices just outside the door becoming faint as they walked away.

"Whoo," Magnus breathed. "That was close. I don't even know if we're supposed to be in here."

"Wherever here is," Alec whispered. "I'm going to head to storage. I was told they had better fitting clothes for me there."

He tugged on the hem of his shirt, making Magnus chuckle. "Right. Go on then. I won't keep you for much longer. Just wanted to see where you were."

"Okay," Alec nodded. "Just....don't repeat anything I said in here out there, okay? I was sort of told not to tell anyone what they did behind the scenes."

It sounded a bit suspicious but Magnus nodded and obliged anyway. "Your secret is safe with me."

They exited the room together. Alec went one way while Magnus went another and neither of them showed any signs that they were talking in secret to each other. As Alec went and changed into a new outfit consisting of a loose black t-shirt and a pair of jeans that actually fit him with black boots. The man working at the supply room had told Alec that the boots weren't easy to find, especially a pair in his size. Alec was just thankful he managed to find any at all.

"Hey Alec!" A voice called. It was Meliorn. "I see you got a new outfit. Looks good. You got a second?"

Alec nodded. "Yeah. What's up?"

Holding up a map, Meliorn gave it a flick with his finger. "The crew and I wanted to go over our route details with you. Fill you in on what we have planned for the next supply run."

A sensation of excitement coursed through Alec's veins. "Of course. Are we doing it right now or...."

"Yup. Follow me. Everyone else is already at headquarters waiting for you."

Meliorn led him to a room that didn't seem familiar to Alec. At least it wasn't one that was shown to him during the tour. It was dark, only lit with dull lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. In the center was a small round table with chairs with people seated in them. They all looked up when Meliorn and Alec entered the room.

"Sorry we're late. Big Guy here is hard to track down." Meliorn sat at the biggest chair, ushering Alec to sit as well. "Now that we're all here, why don't we introduce ourselves to our newest recruit?"

A murmur of agreement went around the table. A girl with long blonde hair spoke first.

"I'm Emma Carstairs. I'm the strategic analyst of the group. If we're ever lost and don't know where to go, I decide the best course of action to take."

The next person to introduce themselves was a large hulk of a man named Hector. He was the muscle that helped move obstacles that might be in their way.

This continued for another minute. Alec knew the entire group's names by then: Emma, Hector, Maia, Jordan, Aline and Meliorn. Seven was the perfect number for a group; not too many to make mistakes and not too few that they were screwed when it came to a serious situation.

"I brought Alec here today so he can see what it is we do and how we do it," said Meliorn. "He has experience in the field. Thought it would good to have an extra pair of experienced hands in our group."

Hector nodded. "Works for me. I'm tired of being the only pretty one in the group-" He cackled when Emma threw a piece of paper at his head. "Relax, blondie. You're not so bad yourself."

"Fuck you," Emma grumbled. "Ignore him, Alec. We all do. So where do you come from? You from around here?"

Alec shook his head. "Uh....not really. We're from Brooklyn. My group, I mean. Alicante. Have you ever heard of it?"

"We don't really get in touch with other communities," Aline told him. "Though that's actually not a bad idea. We could probably set up a trading system."

"Aline, we haven't come across a community in a long time. That one group we bumped into a few years ago were weird-what was the name of that group again?" Hector scratched his shaggy beard in thought. "City of something....god I can't remember."

Alec felt his stomach sink to the floor. "Bones?"

Everyone at the table turned to look at him. "What?" Meliorn asked.

"City of Bones. That's the name of the group you were talking about."

"You know about them?" Emma's voice was rising as she grew excited. "I was only 11 when I first heard about them but I heard they're weird. Ruthless, even."

Alec stared at the dark wood of the table in front of him. "They are. Their leader killed my nine year old brother in cold blood."

The group fell silent. Alec could feel the air growing awkward so he cleared his throat and spoke. 

"Your route. Where does it usually take you?" He asked after the silence became deafening.

"Ah. Our route. We've pretty much scavenged all the nearby buildings from top to bottom. Now we're branching out into the more further away ones." Meliorn rolled out a map onto the table. "We try not to go out too far in case we don't make it back before dark. We never stay out late past the gates when it's dark."

Alec glanced up at him. "Why not?"

Meliorn shrugged. "Too dangerous. I thought that was obvious? See that red mark on the map there?" He pointed to a small red dot labelled 'Danger Zone'. "We encountered an entire horde of Forsaken there last year. That area is avoided no matter what. I wouldn't even go out there to save my dog."

Alec thought that was kind of cruel but he nodded anyway. "Avoid that area. Got it. And what do you normally scavenge? What's the goal?"

Aline handed him a list. "Whatever Lydia tells us to bring back. But we usually go for the basics: food, water, weapons and clothing. Standard procedure."

The words "Warehouse 7" popped out at Alec as he scanned the list of items. "Warehouse 7. What's in there that we need?"

"Not what _we_ need," Jordan whispered. "Meliorn is the only one in here with high enough access to that warehouse. Every now and then Lydia asks him to go in and....check up on things."

"But other than that, we don't really know what goes on in there. He won't tell us," Maia finally spoke up. "Top secret, he says."

"You're better off not knowing. Trust me," Meliorn rolled the map back up and put it to the side. "So does anyone have any questions about what we need to do tomorrow?" No one said anything. "Excellent. Go rest up. You'll need every bit of energy for tomorrow. What's our motto?"

The entire group apart from Alec all said in unison: "Those who are left behind are left for dead."

Meeting adjourned, Alec slipped down into the dungeon and collapsed onto his small bed, staring up at the ceiling as his heart thudded rapidly in his chest. He was shaking, not in excitement but rather fear for what was going to happen tomorrow. His little group's quite echoed in his mind.

_Those who are left behind are left for dead._

What did he just get himself into?


	24. Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid

Magnus stood in Warehouse 2 the next day wearing a green jumpsuit to signify that he was working in the agriculture section. Though green wasn't his color and he wanted to complain that it didn't match his eyes, he had to keep quiet if he wanted his grand plan to work and be set in motion. 

No one knew about his plan. Not even Alec. If he told anyone what he wanted to do he knew they would try and stop him. So for the sake of secrecy, he chose to keep quiet about what was going on in his head. Nobody would understand anyway. 

"Magnus Bane?" A whispery voice said from behind him. As Magnus turned, he saw a small woman with wisps of gray hair standing in curls on her head breezed towards him. She was the living embodiment of air itself when she walked.

"That's me," said Magnus. "Are you Ethel?"

"Indeed I am. Overseer of Warehouse 2. Good to have you here." She shook his hand and sighed. "I'm so sorry about the mess. We just had a harvest recently. The cleaning crew didn't come in to sweep the dirt yet."

Magnus waved a hand. "It's no problem. I wouldn't be working here if I was afraid of a little dirt."

Ethel chuckled at this. "You got jokes! It's about time Lydia gave me one with a little humor. All the workers that walked through these doors are all serious. Not a drop of humor in their bones." 

She beckoned him to follow so that's what Magnus did. She led him through the large warehouse (it was actually a large greenhouse with retractable steel walls) and up the stairs to the second floor. There he got a bird's eye view of the ground floor where some of the vegetables were growing. 

"As you already saw, the walls are retractable. We open them on sunny days so the food can get some rays and then we close them at night. Simple but effective," Ethel explained. 

"What about rainy days?"

"Depends on the amount of rainfall. We opened the ceiling once years ago during a shower and we damn near drowned the food. Lydia went ballistic." Ethel shook her head at this. "Now we don't open the ceiling unless she gives the order. So bossy, that woman."

Magnus tilted his head to look at the third floor. "Why three floors? Wouldn't the sun only reach the top one?"

"Ah," Ethel smirked. "We have a very talented engineer who designed the floors to retract as well. We let the food on the top floor bathe for a few hours and then pull them back so the ones on the bottom floor can get some sun."

It was amazing to see something so simple yet work so effectively. As far as Magnus could tell, the fruits and vegetables were growing really nicely; potatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, to name a few. He'd never seen so much growing in one place in years. 

"You're speechless," Ethel laughed. "First time being around so much fresh produce?"

"It's been years," Magnus breathed. "My uncle owned a farm in California. We'd go there every summer to visit and help out on the farm. It was my favourite thing to do during the school holidays."

Ethel nodded. "Yeah, we all have one memory or another of the farm life. My husband was the farmer. Not me. I'd stay home and knit and cook and clean. Stereotypical housewife, you know? My sons would go and help their father in the barn and in the fields."

"Are they still alive? Your family, I mean."

Ethel shook her head. "John died trying to help a neighbor escape one of those dead ones. Always trying to be a hero, that one. My boys were killed a few months later by a group who robbed us on the road. Why they left me alive is beyond me. I'll never understand it. I should've died that night too."

Magnus placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Maybe fate had bigger plans for you."

Ethel snorted. "Fate. Is that what you young ones call it these days? Was it fate that the dead come back to life and eat the living?"

"Well no. I like to think of this whole situation as a chance to start over. Correct the mistakes we humans have made over the years. Become better people."

A hand then returned the touch on his shoulder. Ethel had placed a warm hand on his jumpsuit and was smiling when he turned to look at her. 

"You're a good man, Mr. Bane. It's rare for anyone to have that positive mindset these days." She gave him a pat on the back before walking away and shouting, "It's great to have you on the team!"

Magnus smiled broadly but it quickly faded when he thought about how he was just using this position to get what he really wanted. He felt awful for playing Ethel like this. She truly did seem like a wonderful person so using her the way he was felt heinous.

"Hey! You with the angelic face!"

Magnus turned to see a squat old man shuffling towards him. He appeared to be out of breath and wheezing by the time he reached the platform where Magnus was standing. 

"You the new guy?" The old man wheezed. His voice was gravelly, like he smoked one too many cigarettes. 

"Yes. I'm Magnus Bane. Who's looking for me?"

The old man coughed a laugh. "Figured you were new. The name's Arthur. Follow me. I was told to give you a map of our warehouses. My office is this way."

By "office" he meant a small tent just within the vicinity of the gardens. There was a small desk beside the tent in which the man reached into the drawer and pulled out a map of what looked like New York. 

"The warehouses are marked according to color. We're Warehouse 2, agriculture, so we're marked in green. One through ten are all marked differently."

Magnus leaned over the map to study it. "Where's nine and ten?"

Arthur looked up from the can he was opening. "Huh?"

"Warehouses nine and ten," Magnus tapped the map with a finger. "Where are they?"

Arthur flinched but shook his head. "I don't have the clearance to know the location. Only those who are high up have access to that information. Like Lydia. Why do you want to know? You don't plan on snooping, do you?"

Magnus shook his head. "No sir. I was just told during my tour here that here were ten warehouses. Just thought I'd ask." He picked up the map and pocketed it. "Thanks for the map though. Is there anything you guys need help with here at the moment?"

Before Arthur could answer, a buzzer went off somewhere within the building followed by a loud voice. 

"Lunch is being served in 15, ladies and gentlemen. Drop whatever it is you're doing and please gather in the mess hall. Thank you."

Arthur sighed in relief. "Thank god. I thought it was going to be canned corn again. And to answer your question, no. We go to lunch first and then come back here to work. Understood?"

Magnus nodded. "Lunch first. I like that idea."

"Of course you would. Who in their right mind wouldn't these days?" Arthur clapped him on the back. "So, Mr Bane. Tell me a bit about yourself."

\----------

"Where's Simon?" 

Jace looked up from his plate to look around. "Last I heard he was visiting Isabelle in the infirmary. Said he'd be there just until she got better."

"She's still in there?" Magnus glanced at the spot where she would've been sitting had she joined them for lunch. "How's she doing anyway?"

"She's....not good." Jace ran a tired hand over his face. "Yesterday she had a cough and now she's got a full blown fever. Simon says she hasn't been bitten or scratched so this could be just the flu."

Clary nodded in agreement. "We did spend a lot of time out in the cold. She could've caught something then."

She made a good point but if that were the case, shouldn't all of them or the majority of the group have the flu too? Magnus thought about this as he shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth. He didn't really like vegetable soup but you couldn't exactly be picky about what you ate these days. 

"And in case you're wondering where my brother is, I haven't seen him since yesterday," Jace pointed out. "Don't give me that look. I could tell you were about to ask that next. You get all googly eyed when it comes to him."

"I don't get googly eyed," Magnus grumbled, "but you're right. That was actually my next question. Did he mention going out with the Scavengers this morning?"

Clary snickered into her cup. "Scavengers? Did you actually say that trademark out loud? Because it sure sounded like you were trying to say Avengers there."

Magnus stuck out his tongue. "So what if I was? I mean....aren't they like the Avengers though? Alec is Captain America. That big bulky guy I saw him with is the Hulk. I don't know about the rest of them."

"As I was saying," Jace cleared his throat to silence Magnus. "I haven't heard from him or seen him since yesterday. He's probably out like you said. You got to get up really early for this kind of job. You don't want to get caught out there after dark. Trust me."

Magnus believed him. He remembered what it was like hiding in houses and other building during nighttime over the years. He also remembered watching and hearing other groups that were passing by during the dark get caught up in something that they didn't have to get caught up if they just stayed inside until morning. Their screams still echoed in his head sometimes-

"What's it like in the agriculture warehouse?" Clary interrupted his thoughts. 

"Oh," Magnus shook his head. "They have fruits and vegetables growing, like you'd expect. I think in the adjoining warehouse they have animals. Cows and sheep-"

Jace snorted. "Where the fuck did they get cows and sheep? This is New York. Not Kansas."

"This might come as a bit of a surprise to you, Blondie, but New York is an entire state. Not just a city. There used to be farms and whatnot outside the city limits. How else did you think most restaurants got their fresh local produce?" Magnus said, cocking his head with a smile. 

"I know that New York was a state. I just....I haven't been outside of here or Brooklyn before. So I didn't know about the farms," Jace grumbled into his bowl. "Can we change the subject? I feel stupid."

Magnus shrugged. "I don't think it matters if we change the subject or not in your case-" 

Jace lunged for him but Clary managed to hold him back. 

"Hey! That's enough!" She snapped. "I know we're all tired and our group isn't at it's normal 100% working capacity lately but we can't be at each other's throats like this. We're a team, remember? A family."

Both men sighed. She had a point. They were only exhausted from everything that's happened to them so far. The recent changes in location weren't helping and neither was Isabelle's sudden flu. If Alec were here, he'd know what to say and do. 

"I got to get going down to the garage. We're repairing some vehicles for the warehouses to bring back some goods." Jace cleaned out his bowl and nodded to Magnus and Clary when he finished. "See you guys at supper."

"Bye," Clary kissed him as he left. "I should be going too. They want me to do a tally of supplies at The Closet-"

"What's The Closet?" Magnus interrupted. 

"It's what they call the storage unit with all the clothes. They told me yesterday they needed help organizing it so that it's manageable and I sort of enjoy organizing thing," she blushed and smiled. "Before all this happened I wanted to be a wedding planner. Help people with their big day. This is the closest to my dream that I'll ever get, right?"

As she began to rise from her seat, Magnus slid a hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. "Who knows. Maybe they find a reason to have a wedding planner job opening in the future?"

Clary's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before her face exploded into a full blown smile. "True. Yeah. Thanks Magnus. You just made my day a little brighter."

"Glad I could help, Little Red," Magnus smiled back. "I really need to get going too. I'll see you at supper."

Arthur was waiting at the entrance when Magnus arrived at the warehouse. He was handing out seeds to the workers and instructing them where to plant it in the soil. When he saw Magnus, he shuffled over and pressed a pack of potato seeds into Magnus' hand. 

"Bit of a power imbalance here today, kid. Ethel wants to do things one way whereas I want to do it another," he grumbled. 

"Didn't realize that you two were at odds," shrugged Magnus. 

"Oh we're not cozy, that's for damn sure. God bless her soul and all but things needs to be done differently here if we're to have another successful harvest. The last one wasn't too pretty."

They walked inside the warehouse towards the soil beds, passing several workers carefully placing seeds in the soil and watering them. It was cold so everyone was doubled up on clothing layers. Some people even wore winter hats on their heads to beat the cold. 

"What happened to the last harvest?" Magnus asked. "Ethel didn't tell me too much about it."

"Of course she wouldn't," Arthur coughed. "She's trying to save her own ass as usual. The last harvest was so goddamn awful that nearly 75% of the crops were rotten. You can't do a whole lot with rotten fruits and vegetables. Feed the rats but that's about it."

Rotten vegetables. Magnus made a mental note of that as he carefully made a hole in the soil to place a seed in. "What do you think happened to the crops? For them to become rotten, I mean."

Arthur took out a cigarette from his pocket. He was about to light it when he caught himself, as if remembering he wasn't allowed to smoke in here. "Shit. I don't know. My best guess is pesticides but no one comes and goes out of here without me knowing about it. Probably a bad batch of seeds or something."

When the workers were done planting, they then moved along to moving the metal walls down to protect the crops from the winds. There was no sun today but the solar powered lights provided just enough heat and artificial sunlight for the plants to get started on growing. 

Magnus watched everyone carefully. One of the things they taught him in Quantico was to always pay attention to your surroundings. Take in every sound, sight, smell. Every detail mattered. In this case, he was looking for signs of weaknesses. Not just in the infrastructure of the building but in the people too. If he noticed that someone was acting suspicious, he was going to jump at the opportunity to take advantage of them for information. 

But no one was acting weird. If anything, they were almost robotic (which maybe in a sense was weird to Magnus). Moving at the same time, avoiding eye contact with their coworkers. It was eerie to watch. The longer Magnus kept an eye on them, the more he wanted to ask someone what was going on. 

"Mr Bane! You look deep in thought all by your lonesome over here in the corner," Ethel chuckled as she approached. "Something on your mind?"

"Not really. Just....watching everyone, more or less. Getting a feel for the environment," he smiled coyly. 

"Ah," Ethel nodded. "It's a lot to take in like I said. But once you get used to how everything works here, you'll be a professional in no time."

As she was talking to him, Magnus could see that the other warehouse workers were watching them. When Ethel would look in their direction, they'd immediately drop their eyes to avoid looking at hers.

"Try and keep awake though, Magnus. It tends to get a little boring around here sometimes," Ethel told him. 

"Boring? How?"

"Well....you can only plant so many seeds and water them so much a day. So the workers here either play cards or hackey sack to pass the time. Do you play Poker?"

Magnus almost grinned at this. "Not really. I have a terrible Poker face."

Ethel laughed heartily. "I'll teach you one of these days. We usually place bet in seeds so it's never really a serious game but like I said. It passes the time." 

She pat him on the knee just as the announcement for supper rang out. The workers all jumped to their feet at once and filed out, eager to get a hot meal in their stomachs. Magnus didn't blame them. It was cold this afternoon and the wind wasn't helping as they crossed the road back over to the Insitute. 

"Magnus! You survived the cold I see," said Clary once he sat with her and Jace at the table. "How was your first day?"

Magnus shrugged. "Alright. Can't complain considering I'm growing what you have on your plate right now."

Supper was fresh bread, hot out of the oven with mashed potatoes and a small side of meat. What kind of meat, that was still uncertain but Jace swears up and down that it was venison. 

"There's deer here?" Magnus asked. 

"You'd be surprised," Jace said through a mouthful of food, "how fast nature takes over and reclaims what once belonged to it. One of the guys showed me a suveillance camera of downtown New York. Central Park is basically expanding and there's freaking deer running around and breeding. There's bucks out there that they hunt-but they hunt in moderation. They leave enough males for reproduction."

"Well then. I'm glad people are so conscious about the environment now. Too bad they weren't like that before," Clary grumbled. 

Jace shrugged. "We thought we had everything before. Now we don't. We need to more careful now. More than ever."

Magnus ate quietly. His mind kept going back to the warehouse workers and how they acted around Ethel. There was something deeply wrong there. Very wrong. He needed to find out what if he wanted the rest of his plan to fall into place-

"Magnus? Anyone home in there?"

Magnus looked up, drawn out of his own thoughts. Jace and Clary were both looking at him, worry on their faces. 

"Huh?" He said. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking about Alec. Just praying he's okay out there and that new group has his back."

"If they don't then we'll just shoot them in theirs-ow!" Clary had hit Jace on the shoulder, causing him to wince and grab the spot where she hit him. "What did I do this time?"

"You can't say that shit out loud, Jace! You never know who's listening...." She whispered. "Look. Magnus. I'm sure Alec's fine. He's a skilled scavenger. You've seen him in the field before. He's a beast. So don't worry about him because he's doing just fine out there." She offered him a small smile and squeezed his hand. "Now is there anything you wanted to speak your mind about?"

Thoughts drifting back to the warehouse workers and his plan, Magnus shook his head. "Nope. Nothing. It's a boring job but at least it passes the time. Do either of you know how to play Poker?"


	25. Left For Dead

"Try and keep up, Jawline! This ain't the Boy Scouts!"

Alec was more than aware that this wasn't the Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts was where you learned to build a fire in the woods. Set up your own camp. Collect badges that didn't mean much to a kid at that time. But looking back at it, Alec thanked his 12 year old self for going through with it and finishing Boy Scouts. It taught him a lot of what he needed to know for today. 

"You said you were a scavenger for your community?" Jordan asked as they ducked under a fallen light pole. 

"Yeah. Alicante. Have you heard of it?" Alec pulled out his map of Brooklyn and pointed it out. "It would've been right here if the freak storm hadn't destroyed it."

Jordan looked up at him. "Storm? You mean that weird storm we had the other week?"

"Yes. Why would I make it up? Unless I imagined it and the town destroyed itself-"

"Hey now. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sure you lost a lot of good people that day and I'm sorry about that. We all lost a lot of good people since this shitstorm happened."

"Not me!" Hector laughed from the front of the group. "I'm a lone wolf. Didn't have anyone going into this mess and thank god for that. I don't need anyone dragging me down when I'm trying to survive."

Emma shot him a look. "Nice to know. Remind me never to rely on you when I need someone to have my back."

"With the exception of you, princess-" Hector laughed as Emma shoved him. "Your Julian isn't here to throw his usual threats at me. I kind of miss him."

"Who's Julian?" Alec whispered to Maia. 

"Emma's man. The two of them have known each other since childhood. They're inseparable-until now, that is. He works in surveillance and he more than likely has an eye on us right now."

When she pointed up at a telephone pole, Alec looked up and saw a camera swerving back and forth above them. "Oh. How long does surveillance extend?"

Maia nodded towards the head of the group. "At the end of that street up there. We never could go any further because the video feed cuts out. Limited range."

Impressed, Alec nodded in approval. "You seem like you know a lot about this stuff."

"I would hope," she snorted. "I started out in surveillance when I first arrived at the Institute. I got pulled when they found out that I practically knew this area like the back of my hand. They thought I'd be more useful on the field than behind a screen and honestly? I like it. Keeps me sane."

Alec scoffed with a smirk. "Are any of us really sane these days?"

Maia grinned. "No. Probably not."

Meliorn stopped just outside a building whose entire first four floors looked dilapidated and ready to collapse at any moment. He checked the map, the building, then signalled the group. 

"First stop is here. There's some important generator parts in here apparently. Maybe we'll find some other goodies here too?"

"Food!" Emma beamed. 

"Clothes!" Maia sent a prayer up to the heavens. 

"Booze!" Hector boomed, which the rest of the group had to hush him. 

Meliorn sighed. "Yes to food and clothes. No to booze. We get the important stuff first, Hector. Come on man. You've been working with me for years-"

"I know, I know. I've heard it all before," grumbled Hector. "But if I find a bottle, I'm taking a big ol' swig from it. You can't stop me."

They had to set up a pulley system similar to what rock climbers use. Though Alec wasn't much of a rock climber, he did use the pulley once or twice before when places were hard to get. He was slower than the rest of the group on account of his injured shoulder but he still managed to follow behind them while Jordan stayed down below to keep watch and keep the rope steady. 

"Search everywhere. We're not leaving this place until every nook and cranny is looked through. Anything useful, you take it. Understood?" Meliorn told them. When everyone nodded, he waved a hand. "Be free, little birds. Search the entire area."

One thing Alec knew how to do and do very well was search for things. He was good with his eyes; he could tell when something was there that most people would overlook. Same went for people too. He could tell when someone was lying or keeping something from him. In other words, hiding. 

"Got some nutrition bars over here!" Aline yelled from across the room. "And a pair of old crocs!"

"Leave them to die!" Maia called back. "The one thing I don't miss from the old days were those nasty shoes."

The girls laughed but Alec felt uneasy about being here. His skin crawled every time they spoke and his ears kept straining for any sounds that didn't belong to them. 

"Meliorn," he whispered. "I don't think the women should be talking so loud like that. We haven't cleared the area-"

"Relax, new guy. I've been doing this for a long time and I can assure you that we're safe up here. Hector is quite the shot and can handle anything that tries to come at us."

This still didn't reassure Alec's nerves but he nodded anyway. If he were in charge, things would be a lot different. The rules would be a hell of a lot more clear than what they were now and the area would've been swept clean before even attempting to search it. At least that would've been his way of handling things....

A clatter from behind a closed door caused Alec to whirl around, bow raised with an arrow notched back into it. It sounded like something had fell from inside but nothing ever fell on their own without something giving it a reason to. 

Quietly and carefully, Alec approached the door. His weapon was still raised just in case something burst through and attacked but he wasn't taking any chances. The rest of the group didn't seem too concerned so it was better if he handled this himself.

He reached for the doorknob. The rattling quieted but he couldn't risk something bursting out to attack them. Doorknob between his fingers, he took a deep breath while counting to five in his head, and yanked open the door. 

A cat raced out, yowling and hissing as it passed Alec. As it disappeared into a hallway, he lowered his bow and laughed quietly. It took a moment for his nervous laughter to fade before he clicked on his flashlight to have a look at what was inside the closet. 

"What did you find?" Aline's voice called out from across the room. 

Alec winced at the reverberation. "Some cables and wires. A couple cans of sausages. Unopened batteries. Some clothes. Looks like someone lived here once upon a time."

Meliorn peered into the closet himself. "Yeah well. It doesn't seem like they're coming back anytime soon. They're probably long gone by now." He pointed to the goods inside. "Pack it up and leave nothing behind. Batteries are practically worth as much as gold these days."

Alec shoved the contents into his backpack. As he was about to zip up the bag, he paused. He swore he heard whispers coming from the other side of the wall. Pressing an ear to the cold, thin wood, he listened carefully. To his surprise he heard footsteps moving away as if they knew he was there. It caught him by surprise so he jumped back in shock-

"Whoa. Careful," Maia chuckled as Alec knocked into her. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I-" Alec shook his head. "I thought I heard something on the other side of the wall. But it's probably nothing. Just my imagination playing tricks on me."

Maia nodded. "We all lose our minds out here every now and then. That's why we rely on each other to reel our teammates back when that happens. Now come on. Hector's found a small stash of booze and we're all taking a drink before we move on."

She wasn't lying about Hector and the booze. The huge bulk of a man was seated in what looked like a break room and drinking heartily from a tequila bottle. When he saw the group walk in, he smiled broadly and lift the bottle in the air as a toast. 

"To good health and survival," he hiccuped. "Goddamn. It's been a while since I drank tequila straight like this. The burn feels beautiful."

They each took a drink except for Alec, who stayed on high alert as they raided the cabinets for anything else they could take back with them. Hector had already found the generator they were looking for, neatly packed away in his own backpack. 

"Hey Jawline. You having a drink? It could be the only one you ever get for a long time," Hector said to Alec. 

Alec looked down at the bottle being held out to him. "No thanks. I need to be sober during missions. But you go right ahead and finish the rest."

Hector's laugh was a low rumble. "Bambi here thinks he's better than us. Don't you, doe eyes?"

"Hector," Meliorn said, a warning tone in his voice. "That's enough. Alec is right. We shouldn't even be drinking in the first place. We need to be at the top of our game and alcohol is just going to blur our reasoning."

Rolling his eyes, Hector noisily gulped down the rest of his tequila before standing. "Lead the way, boss. But just to clarify....my reasoning is just fine."

They made the trip back down their makeshift pulley system where Jordan waited for them down below on the ground. Once the last person was down, Jordan gave a visible shiver and spoke to them in a low voice. 

"I'm so fucking happy to see you guys again. I've been hearing some weird shit while you guys were up there," he barely whispered. 

"Like what?" Maia asked. 

Jordan shuddered. "I can hear people talking-and before you ask if I scoped the area, that's the first thing I did. I couldn't see a damn thing. I could hear them but nothing came up on the scope."

"What were they saying?" Meliorn whispered. Suddenly everyone was whispering as if they feared they were being listened to right now. 

"I don't know. It just sounded like harsh whispers to me. Harsh whispers in very short sentences-probably no more than three words. It was.....spooky." 

Jordan's voice trailed off and no one in the group even dared to ask anymore questions. They seemed to be more focused on their surroundings, which Alec noticed was more focus than they'd given their raid not long ago. As they listened this gave him a chance to whisper in Jordan's ear. 

"We need to leave. Now," he said. 

Jordan's eyes grew wide. "Right now? But we still need to hit a few more places-"

"They'll still be here tomorrow. We need to get back to the Institute. Something's not right here." Alec adjusted his backpack on his shoulders as he glanced around the barren street before turning to Meliorn. "We should get moving. To be honest I'm getting a little spooked after hearing what Jordan said about the voices."

"Because you heard them too," came Maia's quiet voice. Everyone turned to her and she nodded while pointing to Alec. "In the closet with the supplies. He said he heard whispers but they went away when he pressed his ear to the wall. Didn't you, Alec?"

When everyone's eyes rest on Alec, he suddenly felt like a deer in the headlights. No point in lying to them now. "It's true. I heard shuffling around and voices but I didn't think anything more of it. But maybe I should've, seeing how spooked we all are. Do you know if there are any other groups in the city?"

"Like ours?" Emma shrugged. "None as far as we know. There might be some smaller ones out here but none that are an eminent threat."

This didn't give Alec a whole lot of answers and only raised more questions for him. Adjusting his backpack for the hundredth time that day, he nodded towards Meliorn. "We really should head back. I've got a bad feeling about being out here right now."

The feeling was mutual amongst the small group as they nodded quickly and gathered their wits. Weapons raised, they began to make ther way back to the Institute. 

On the way back, Alec noticed a part in the cement road that was crumbled and caved in. There were a set of stairs leading down into the ruins which only meant that at one point in time, there was a subway that ran beneath them. 

"I remember taking the subway to go to work," Maia whispered. "I was a bartender at The Hunter's Moon. Ever been?"

"No. I was only 18 when the dead started to come back to life so I was underage." Alec glanced at her. "How old are you anyway?"

She winked. "You're not supposed to ask how old a lady is. It's rude."

Alec was about to retort when something grabbed his attention. It sounded like it was coming from the subway ruins. 

"Help me"

It was a voice. A child's voice, to be exact, and they sounded frightened and hurt. They must've lost their way and ended up underground somehow. 

"There's a kid down there," Alec hissed loud enough for the group to hear. 

Meliorn shook his head. "That's impossible. Everyone knows not to go down into the subway ruins. You're as good as dead if you do."

Alec ignored him. "I'm not leaving a kid down there by themselves. I have to help them."

He jogged over to the opening of the hole. His flashlight now on, he peered down inside in hopes he'd see something. 

But it was pitch black. It was impossible for him to see even with his flashlight, so he clicked it off and decided to quietly call out to the child. 

"Hello? Is anyone down there?" He whisper yelled. When there was no reply, he shifted his weight so that he was closer to the edge, hoping he'll see something. 

Instant regret flowed through him as the ground beneath him began to crumble and break. There was no time to jump back as the cement under his feet gave way and he plummeted down into the dark hole and landed hard on his stomach. 

His ears were ringing and his shoulder throbbed in pain. Coughing, he rolled over onto his back. There was too much dust in the air to be able to see anything so he waited for it to disappear in the air. Once it did, he could see the gray sky above him as well as the heads of his fellow group members peering down at him. 

"Alec!" Meliorn called out. "Are you okay?"

Alec coughed. "I'm fine! Just a bit bruised up. And I think my shoulder is bleeding again!"

A moment of silence followed before Meliorn spoke again. "Don't worry, okay? We're going to go get help but we'll be right back! Stay put!"

Alec was about to protest when their heads disappeared from the edge of the hole. He swore, hitting a slab of cement with a hand in anger which caused him to wince. He couldn't see if his shoulder actually was bleeding but as he put his fingers to the wound, they felt wet with blood as he rubbed them together. 

"Dammit," he muttered. "I should've fucking known the ground would crumble."

He clicked on his flashlight (which miraculously wasn't broken) to scan the darkness. He couldn't see much but from what he could tell, there was mostly a lot of cement and quite possibly a broken down subway train. But no sign of a child ever being down here. 

Minutes turned to hours as Alec sat there in the darkness waiting for rescue. After eating a granola bar and patching his wound, a pit began to form in his stomach the longer he sat there and occasionally glancing up at the hole above him. 

Then it hit him. Realization so strong that it felt like a literal punch to the gut as the scavenger group's motto echoed in his mind:

_Those who are left behind are left for dead_

They weren't going to get help. 

They just left Alec behind.


	26. A Discovery Unfolds

Magnus saw the scavengers come back before anyone even announced it. He'd been coming back from the agriculture warehouse when he saw the gates to the Institute open and the scavengers piled in. He watched for Alec but didn't see him walk in with the rest of the group. 

"Hey," he called out to the guy with a blue streak in his long black hair. "Where's Alec?"

The man stopped in his tracks as Magnus cut him off in the hall. "Who are you?"

Magnus chuckled dryly. "Don't play games with me, buddy. Now I'll ask just one more time. Where. Is. Alec?"

Everyone was watching them at this point, waiting to see what would happen next. But Magnus wasn't going to snap; he learned to control his anger and emotions in Quantico. They only clouded your judgement anyway. This guy, on the other hand, was red in the face with all the anger he was holding back. 

"I don't want to have to force an answer out of you," Magnus whispered. "At least not where there's people watching."

Blue Streak made a move to shove Magnus but let out a yell as his arm became pinned behind his back and was forced against the wall. "Alright! Alright! I'll tell you where he is!"

Magnus didn't loosen his hold. "Excellent. Is he dead?"

"No," Blue Streak grunted. "He's not."

"Then where is he?"

"He's....we left him behind. He fell down into an abandoned subway tunnel and there was no way out. So we just left him there."

The wall that Magnus worked so hard to build in order to keep his emotions in check started to crack. "You....just left him down in that hole to die? Did you even try to help him?!"

He slammed the other man's face against the wooden wall, the mental wall inside his mind that had been built up crashing down completely. He didn't care that he made the man's temple bleed. They had left Alec behind. He was seeing red. 

"He wanted to join your team! He knew he would be a valuable asset and you just left him behind like some poor pet that you didn't want anymore!" Magnus yelled. His skin was on fire; he hadn't been this angry in years, especially not over a man he just met. "He would've stayed behind to help you. And what did you do? Huh? Did you promise to get help? Knowing what your real intentions were?"

Blue Streak was sobbing uncontrollably but no one stepped in to help him. "I'm so sorry....we have a rule-"

"Fuck your rules," Magnus growled, "and fuck you."

With a final shove, he pushed Blue Streak towards a huge hulk of a man who could've easily stepped in and crushed Magnus' skull but didn't. Magnus didn't care much, to be honest. The only thing that was on his mind at the moment was rescuing Alec before nightfall. Nothing good ever came from being stuck in the night. 

The woman in the supplies room nearly jumped out of her chair when Magnus walked in like he owned the place. "Hey! You're not authorized to be in here! You're violating code-"

"You know where you can stick your code, honey. Spare me the lecture." He grabbed a backpack and filled it with the essentials; bottles of water, a few energy bars, blankets, flashlights. What little space he had left in his bag would be filled with ammo once he made his way to the weapon storage. 

"I have to report you to Lydia," the woman told him as he grabbed an extra flashlight. "You can't take stuff out of here unless you're authorized to do so."

Magnus turned to look at her. He flashed a million watt smile that made her take a step back in fear. "Go right ahead. Report me. But I have a good friend who was left behind out in the city because his scavenge group are a pack of assholes. Whatever I don't use, I promise to bring back."

He left without another word, getting the same treatment in the weapon storage as he did in supplies. Now armed with a sleek AK-47 and his beloved Swiss Army knife that he found in a box of knives, he was set. It was surprising that no one dared to get in his way as he left through the front gates of the Institute with ease. It wasn't like he was going to shoot his way out (which he wasn't. He wasn't a murderer). So instead he chose to believe that they would've done the same for the person they cared about too. 

The subway tunnel that Blue Streak mentioned couldn't have been very far from where they were scavenging. After studying a map as he walked the streets, Magnus learned that there was only one tunnel close enough to the Institute that just so happened to be within walking distance. He'd be there in 15 minutes if he moved fast enough. 

As suspected, the tunnel was indeed dilapidated and recently too. Alec must've fell down and was unable to climb back out so the group just left him there to either die or get eaten by some Forsaken that met the same fate as he did. So cautiously, Magnus crept his way out towards the edge of the hole and peered down. 

"Alec?" He called out. "If you can hear me, say something."

A silence followed, causing Magnus' stomach to flip upside down. He was about to call out again when a voice echoed up to him. 

"Magnus? Is that you?"

Relief flooded through Magnus' veins. "Oh thank god you're alive. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Not really. My shoulder is bad again but other than that I'm fine. What are you doing here? Are you the help they said they would bring back?"

So they did promise to get him help. Magnus made a mental note to punch Blue Streak in the face when they returned to the Institute. "Not really. But I'm here now. That's all that matters, right? Stay where you are. I'll come to you."

"I can't go far," Alec's sarcastic reply echoed up from the tunnel. "Just be careful on the way down. There's metal pipes sticking out from some of the cement blocks."

After a few careful maneuvers down the precarious cement hole, Magnus finally knelt down beside a very dirty looking Alec. With his flashlight, he checked for broken bones and cuts (much to Alec's distaste). 

"Magnus. I'm fine. I already checked myself over. Several times, actually." Alec winced as Magnus gently pressed on his ribs. "Okay so I might've missed a spot..."

"I don't think they're broken. Just badly bruised. Do you have any water left?" He handed a bottle to Alec, who gulped more than half it down thirstily. He decided to lighten the mood with a little joke. "So do you always hang out in creepy abandoned subway tunnels?"

Alec set down the bottle to wipe his lips. "Sure. Why not? It makes for a great first date."

They both grinned at each other before Magnus grew serious. "Alec....when the scavenge group came back and I didn't see you there....not knowing if you were alive or dead....I....I was terrified."

Alec felt his heart skip a beat. He reached for Magnus' hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, a small smile on his face. "You can't get rid of me that easy. It's going to take a lot more than some crumbly old cement to knock me down."

Magnus snorted. "Well it kind of did. You couldn't find a way up and out so I had to come rescue your sorry ass-" He laughed when Alec glared at him. "Relax. I'm just joking. But speaking of rescue....who's going to get the both of us out now?"

They both craned their necks up to look at the gaping hole above them. The stairs had been destroyed long ago and the metal pipes were too high for them to reach while being more than likely unstable as well. 

"Well then. This is quite the predicament we got ourselves in. What do you think we should do?" Magnus asked as scanned the area for anything they could use to escape. 

"No way up so that only means one thing." Alec pointed down the dark tunnel with a finger. "We go through."

It was incredible how fast Mother Nature takes back what's hers. As they slowly made their way through the tunnel, through the light of their flashlights they could see tree roots and moss growing around the walls and on the floor. They even saw a small stream flowing down the track at one point. Instead of smelling like a subway, the place smelled more like a forest than anything else. If Alec closed his eyes, he would've thought he was in the woods and not a broken down subway tunnel instead. 

"If all this happened within five years, I hate to see what it'll look like in another five," Magnus whispered. He ran his fingers over some moss growing on a pipe and half smiled. "Nature is taking over. The way it was intended."

Alec glanced at him. His voice had grown soft at the mention of nature like it was a personal subject to him. "You like nature?"

"Like nature? I love nature," Magnus chuckled. "Not only was I a potential FBI agent, but I was a blossoming naturist-"

"You went around naked?!"

"Not that kind of naturist. I was into nature. Worshipped it, actually. Believed in all the woodland gods and goddesses and Mother Nature herself. Plus I was an avid volunteer for a nature preserve."

Alec watched as Magnus pulled some moss off the wall and placed it in his bag. "So you planted trees? And protected the animals?"

Magnus nodded. "Of course. It's what I enjoyed doing. Of course I don't have to work as hard because good old nature herself is claiming her land again."

They walked further along the tracks before coming to a halt. There were noises coming from up the tunnel, loud banging and shuffling around, so both men jumped behind a jagged wall to conceal themselves. 

"I can't tell what that noise is," Magnus whispered. "People? Animals? Loose concrete falling to the ground?"

Alec shifted so that he was somewhat peering out from their hiding spot. "It's getting closer. Maybe we should-"

Magnus' hand slapped down on Alec's mouth. Unsure of what was happening, Alec tried to protest but his voice was muffled by the hand covering his mouth. His nose was covered a little too so breathing became difficult. 

"Not. A. Sound," Magnus mouthed, finger to his own lips.

The noises were much louder now, the shuffling becoming drowned out by the sound of Forsaken groans. Both Alec and Magnus pressed themselves against the wall to conceal their presence better as the group of zombies passed, but none of them seemed to notice the men as they walked by. 

The leader stopped suddenly, raising its head to sniff the air. It growled then; a guttural snarl similar to a dog's but much, much worse. After sniffing the air again, what it did next made the hair on Alec and Magnus' arms and neck rise and their skin crawl. 

"Fleshhhh," the leader gargled. "Fleshhhh."

It took a lot to frighten Alec but the scene he was seeing and hearing right before him now absolutely petrified him. Forsaken couldn't talk. It was impossible. Death and turning completely took away any abilities that allowed humans to speak or communicate. The only function that Forsaken knew how to do were basic motor functions, attack and eat. Everyone knew this. But being able to talk? It was unheard of. 

The other Forsaken began to follow their leader's actions by sniffing the air. They too chittered in what sounded like excitement but it was hard to tell. Alec's heartbeat was pounding too loudly in his ears to be able to decipher between sounds. But it was Magnus' grip on his hand that calmed him down, despite the hand covering his mouth. 

Magnus leaned in to Alec ear to whisper in the softest voice Alec has ever heard. "When I say run we make a break for the end of the tunnel. Do you hear me?"

Alec could only nod due to the pressure of the hand on his mouth. But was that fear in Magnus' voice? It sounded like fear. At least it was nice to know that he was just as frightened as Alec. Magnus rarely showed any signs of being frightened. 

The Forsaken edged a little closer to where they hid in the darkness. They didn't seem to realize that both Magnus and Alec were only a few feet away from them, only sniffing harder and heavier through their noses. It was only when one got too close for comfort when Magnus jerked his body out from their hiding spot. 

"RUN!" He cried. 

Alec was right behind him as they darted out into the tunnel. The Forsaken behind them snarled and began to follow them, racing after them with a speed Alec had never seen before. Forsaken never ran either; another thing that seemed off about this group of zombies. 

"There's a service ladder ahead!" Magnus called out. "That'll lead us to a main road!"

The Forsaken were getting closer so they had to act fast if they wanted to get out of the tunnel alive. Magnus grabbed hold of the ladder first and climbed up, pushing against the manhole cover while Alec stayed down below with a gun in hand. 

"Magnus! You might want to hurry it up a little bit!" Alec yelled as he shot down one of the zombies. 

"I'm trying!" Magnus grunted. "It's really stuck! I think it's rusted over after years of nobody using it-wait! I think it's becoming loose!" A final push of the cover caused it to spring free. Magnus climbed through first, turning to face the bottom of the ladder and reaching a hand out to Alec. "Come on! Hurry!"

As quickly as he could, Alec grabbed the ladder with both hands and started to make his way up. The growls were even louder now but he didn't dare look back to see how close they were. He felt one grab his ankle and he almost lost grip on the ladder. Struggling to break free, Alec tried to shake it off but the grip around his foot was too strong; no Forsaken was this strong. 

A loud yelp was what finally prompted Alec to look down. The zombie that had grabbed him now had a butterfly knife sticking out from its forehead as it slowly slipped to the ground, dead. When he looked back up at Magnus, the man had a solemn look on his face. 

Once Alec was out of the hole, they covered it back up and laid on the road while breathing heavily in exhaustion. They even took turns drinking from a water bottle and relishing at how good lukewarm water felt against their parched throats. 

"That was too close for comfort," Magnus finally said. "Those weren't like any zombies I've ever seen before."

"I know," Alec nodded in agreement. "One of them even talked. That's never happened....that I know of."

Crows overhead cawed down at them like vultures in the sky. If they listened carefully they could still hear the snarls of the Forsaken just below them, growling and hitting the manhole cover with their rotted fists. 

"Should we leave before they find out how to move the cover by themselves?" Alec whispered. 

"So soon?" Magnus chuckled. "I was kind of hoping we could stick around and see if we could get my knife back. I loved that knife," he paused for a moment to glance at Alec, "but I think I need to stop putting my love into inanimate objects and start putting it into the people I care about instead."

Touched by the sudden sentiment, Alec reached out a hand for Magnus to shake. Once Magnus shook it, they both got to their feet and hugged tightly. 

"Alright, alright. Come on. Let's go before those freaks down below break free," Magnus said as he pat Alec on the shoulder. "By the way....there's something that you should know before we make our way back."

Alec nodded. "Okay. What is it?"

Magnus bit his lip before speaking. "It's Isabelle. She's sick and in the hospital wing. That's all I know-"

"Izzy? Is she okay? Why's she in there?!"

"Alec! I said that's all I know. Simon's been with her the entire time. We can ask him when we get back."

A heavy sigh came from Alec as they continued walking. "Alright. After I visit Izzy, I need to talk to Lydia. I need to know if she knows anything about those things in the subway and whether or not she's told anyone about them."

Magnus shrugged. "That woman's got more secrets than a beauty magazine. Who knows what else she's hiding up her sleeve."


End file.
